Masculine Expectation
by TheChibiRiceBall
Summary: Hinata didn't expect to wake up as a guy. She didn't expect to wear Neji's clothes, no less his underwear, to see the Hokage. She didn't expect her father to handle the situation so calmly. She didn't expect a lot of things. She especially didn't expect the changes that came and her small friendship with the brooding Uchiha.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys :). This particular story has been brewing in my mind, enough for me to want to write it. It's been a while so don't expect me to have gotten any better then my last stories. But, this was quite fun and enjoyable to write so I do hope you enjoy it as much as I did. To clarify a few things before you read.**

 **Sasuke has returned probably a year after defeating Itachi. I already know that Itachi is a good person and what not, and I won't be diving very deeply into the matter in this story. For the sake of being correct in terms of characters, Team Hebi/Taka won't be residing in Konoha. They'll be referenced and possibly make a brief appearance if the story provides the oppertuniy. So a good majority of what is canon (Sasuke joining Akatsuki, Obito, the Fourth Great NInja war etc.) won't be happening, and I highly doubt I'll go farther because this story is made for my own pleasure of having fun!**

 **In terms of genre, the story will have a light hearted feel, but I will be writing in a good few tear jerking elements and a dash of romance because I'm a sucker for SasuHina and I love to suffer. So I do hope you guys enjoy, yeah some of you won't since this senerio is overplayed, but it's a classic and I like classics.**

 **This story will have multiple chapters, and I will only be able to write when I have time (I'm in college so pls be understanding). But, I do promise to actually finish this, and most likely updates won't be too far from each other.**

 **I don't own Naruto**

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It was a beautiful day; the sun was bright and at its zenith. Its golden rays touching everything it could. The clouds were sparse and spread out, and they rolled lazily across the sky with the summer breeze. The sounds of cicadas filled in the silence of the woods, and the flowers soaked up all they could. The quiet district of the Hyuga compound was also touched by the day's calm atmosphere. The sun beams reached into open rooms and slipped through windows. Servants brought out fresh laundry to dry and the gardeners tended to the flowers and herbs in the various private gardens.

A young female branch member carrying a tray of food walked down the open hallway before turning into the deeper parts of the main house. The traditional sliding doors soon disappeared and were replaced by modern doors and walls. She came to a stop at a door and quietly knocked. "Lady Hinata, I have come to tell you lunch is served. Please come, you have missed breakfast." There was no response coming from inside but she brushed it off and continued on her way. The girl had a long night, she saw her stumbling in but refrained from approaching her.

Inside the room, a large lump laid still under the covers. It shuddered before curling in on itself and then expanding, arms and legs peeking out from under fluffy white comforter. A raspy groan emitted before the body settled back down. A crown of long indigo hair popped out from the cocoon.

 _Ugh, my head is pounding. I need to get up._ Hinata rose from her bed slowly while keeping the sheet close to her body. She yawned and winced; her jaw was stiff and rubbed it gingerly. Her eyes squinting at the afternoon sun coming through her window. She sat there for a minute before swinging her legs off the bed and sluggishly walking to her adjoined bathroom, dropping the sheet from her body unceremoniously. _Why does everything seem smaller? Ugh I must be coming down with a fever._ Her line of vision was changed, almost like she had grown taller. It made her head hurt.

She reached the bathroom and turned on the lights. They flickered into life and glared painfully into her sensitive eyes. Hinata blinked several times from rubbing them. She made a beeline to the toilet and briefly glanced in the mirror, _Oh my, I look-  
_  
She stopped her stride and trail of thought. She zeroed in on her reflection and slammed her hands down on the sink counter. Her eyes bulging out at what she saw. Her hands were shaking as she reached to touch her face. Her breathing started to become labored, "Is that my face-!" She shrieked at the sudden male voice. She jerked back and slammed into wall and promptly fell to the floor. Covering her mouth with her hands she waited.

There was a pregnant silence before she opened her mouth again, "Hello? Ah!" She gasped at the lower and very much male voice that came from her mouth. "What's happened to my voice!?" She took in deep breaths, focusing on her technique; her chest rose and fell with each one. Funny, it was bit easy to breathe.

Her chest she suddenly realized. She patted her chest fruitlessly, her search for her breast were in vain. She ripped her button up shirt open and paled. Nothing but a male torso.

 _No, no! This is a dream. THIS can't be real!_ Hinata let out a panicked giggle, there was no way this wasn't a dream. She sat there and looked at her chest in horror. Her eyes slowly wandered down towards her hips and then pelvis. There was a deafening silence. She could feel a cold sweat forming on her neck and back. Her heart started to race and she gulped. If this were a dream then it would end as soon as she checked.

Her trembling hand reached for her pants waist band and clutched it. She didn't want to lift it, part of her was too embarrassed and the other not wanting to ever know what was underneath it. She sucked in a deep breath and closed her eyes at the same time she lifted the waistband. She waited but she did not wake up. She could feel the fabric clutched in her hand and the cool air hitting her thighs. She whined and opened one eye to see.

A loud shriek was heard all around the compound. It echoed down the halls and could've probably been heard around the village. Neji, coming in from a nearby dojo, heard the scream coming from her room. "Hinata!" He dashed into the main house and down the hall rushing to her. He took ahold of the know and barged right in. The door slammed into a body and was knocked down. Neji scanned the area and focused in on the fallen figure "Hinata! What happened I heard you scream. Where's the intruder? Where is he!" He kneeled down beside her and pushed her hair out of her face. Tears were spilling out of her eyes and a bruise forming near her forehead from the crash. "Hinata, I am so sor-" he paused and then leaped away yelping. Hinata in return shrieked.

"Who are you! What have you done to Lady Hinata! Answer me or I'll kill you!" This only produced the man in front of him to wail.

"Neji, it's me Hinata! It's me!" His statement was littered in hiccups and gross sobbing.

"Lie! Tell me now!" He rushed the crying man held him against the wall, a menacing glare in his eyes, the glare amplified by the byakugan.

"Neji it's me! I-I don't know w-what happened! I ju-ust woke u-up like this. I don't k-know what's going on!" Fat tears rolled down his face, face red and raw from crying. He took a closer look at his face, though male, her looked like a male version of her. The same eyes, nose and manner of crying even. Neji dropped the man to the floor, he crumpled and wiped his face. Neji took a few steps back and collapsed on his behind.

He focused his all seeing eyes at the man, even the way this man held himself was Hinata. "Lady Hinata?" He tried and the man in front of him looked up. A quivering lip and doe eyes stared back at him; it was her.

"Wha- how- what?" Neji was at a lost for words. Never in his life would he ever thought this would happen. What was even going on?

"I don't know. I just woke up like this, that's all I know. I don't know what to do Neji-Nisan!" Her eyes went glassy again and she was about to cry. Neji seeing her distress tried to comfort her. But it proved weak as he was trying to come to terms with the situation and his own shock.

"There there, Hinata. We...we'll find a way to fix this." He patted her back awkwardly, Hinata threw her arms around his waist and buried her face into his chest. He stiffened, the situation was so weird. He knew it was Hinata but she was a man now? She was still a woman right? He patted her head and tried to keep his composure.

"We need to go to Lady Tsunade, she might know what to do. If anyone, she might know the answer to what has happened." There was no way either of them were going to go tell Hiashi at this point, they didn't have answers themselves. Hinata's crying turned to small hiccups and sniffles.

There was a silence, both trying to come to terms with the whole thing. Suddenly Hinata lifted her head up and looked up at Neji. "I don't have any clothes to wear." Neji looked at the male form of Hinata and realized that none of her previous female clothes will fit. Hinata was small and compact, but now she (he?) had a broad chest and shoulders almost like his. It was also unsettling seeing her in her blue pj set."I'll lend you a pair of my clothes." That would also mean...underwear. Neji groaned in embarrassment, his cheeks pink, and raked a hand through his long hair. He promptly stood up and held out a hand to help his cousin up.

Upon standing, they stood eye level with each other. Neji hoped it wouldn't get any weirder than it was now.

Whispers and giggles were heard around them as they walked down the street. Neji was dressed in his usual ninja gear while Hinata was given a white short sleeved shirt, rolled up black pants, a black cap and a pair of sandals. He tried to make her disguised, maybe hide her true identity more than it already was. She looked nothing more than a common person, except no common person had the renowned Hyuga eyes and long indigo hair.

Hinata looked around cautiously, having already heard a few comments from the mouths of the people around them. Both were on high alert and to the others around them, they seemed almost ethereal. Two handsome men walking down the street. The powerful and well known prodigy of the Hyuga clan Neji, and a mysterious boy with a beautiful and handsome face. Most of the women around talked about Hinata, asking who he was and why they haven't seen him before.

Hinata hearing their musing blushed in embarrassment, which only fueled the chatter among them and a few squeals from the younger ones.

"Chiaki, please pick up the pace." She perked up at the name and quickly jogged up next to him. Neji told her that she would need a new name while out in public. They made up a story, if anyone were to ask who she was, that she is a cousin on her mother's side.

They picked up the pace when they noticed that some of the younger women were closing in on them and reached the Hokage Tower in no time. Neji quickly went up to the front desk and asked if the Hokage was busy, "No, she's free! You can go right up." It didn't go unnoticed that the desk secretary was looking at Hinata closely. They climbed the stairs swiftly, hoping that they wouldn't run into other ninja. They came upon the Hokage's door without trouble.

"Wait, what are we going to tell her?" Hinata halted their movements and looked at Neji anxiously, "Are we really going to tell her that I just woke up transformed as a boy!? It doesn't make sense."

He furrowed his brows, "Do you have any better idea?" Hinata looked down and shook her head. Neji knocked on the door and was told enter. Tsunade sat at her desk reading over a mission report, piles of paperwork sat at her right along with mountains of scrolls. The entered quietly and waited for her.

She put down the scroll, "What can I do for you Neji...and?" She gave a pointed look at the man next to him. He was quite handsome. Odd that she had never seen him before; almost all Hyuga were on active duty as ninja. She regarded him closely, scanning over his attire and posture.

"This may come out as a surprise Hokage-sama, but this is...Hinata. Lady Hinata to be specific." There was a pause, before she let out a laugh.

"Stop pulling my leg Neji, you're too old for this type of prank." The mysterious boy stepped closer to her desk and started to fidget with his hands.

"It's me Lady Tsunade. I seem to have...woken up like this." Hinata gave nervous glances to her, trying to gauge her reaction. Tsunade's eyes only gave her a calculated stare. "I assure you there is no trick, nor is this an illusion. Neji-niisan and I came here so we can ask for your help on the matter."

Tsunade got up from her chair and walked around to the boy. She walked around him, trying to find any visible marks or giveaways of a genjutsu. She came to a stop in front of the nervous boy, she kept his eyes focused on her own honey colored ones. He broke contact and glanced worriedly to Neji. Tsunade lifted her hands and placed them around the boy's face, the boy let out a squeak of surprise. She turned his face this way and that way. There was a brief pause and she clamped her hands on his shoulder. "It's really you isn't it?" Hinata nodded slowly on confirmation.

Tsunade let out a sigh and leaned back on her desk. Of all the things to happen in Konoha, she had to get this. She rubbed the bridge of her nose and gave a dry chuckle. "If it makes you feel better, you make quite a handsome man, Hinata." She turned to Neji, "I'll give her a brief medical examination. I'm not sure how and why this happened, but we need to be sure she's fine internally."

"Hinata please lay down on the couch." Hinata did and adjusted herself to the small sofa, "Please lift your shirt." She did and Tsunade laid both glowing green hands onto her stomach. There was a sudden burning pain in her abdomen and she gasped.

Tsunade retracted her hands and looked to where they were placed and hummed in acknowledgement. "Well, I see where the problem is. Neji come over here. Do you see this mark?" He walked over and saw that black markings appeared on Hinata's abdomen. They appeared to look like sealing tattoos of some kind. "They appear to be some type of seal ninjustu." Hinata lifted her head up and saw the markings on her stomach, they throbbed in pain and made her feel nausea.

"But the real question right now is, how did you get these in the first place? You were fine when you came home from the mission you were-" Neji pointedly paused and gave a stern look at Hinata, she was at a lost for words. "Hinata what happened during your mission yesterday?"

"Nothing! My team was just just attacked by a group of rogue nin when we were coming home; it wasn't anything we couldn't handle. I got punched a few times but I was able to deflect it with chakra pulses easily. They weren't high level ninja either, and they didn't carry any sealing marks or jutsu." There was nothing that seemed wrong with the mission, she would've seen everything with her byakugan.

Tsunade stood up and leaned against the couch. It didn't add up at all. If the mission went without a hitch then where did that mark come from. "Hinata did anything happen before or after the mission?" Hinata sat back up pulling her shirt down. Nothing happened before her mission. It was an ordinary day of packing the essentials before leaving. Then after the mission she went home to take a bath, talked with her family for a little bit and then went out to eat with team 8. They went to go eat BBQ? Or did they go eat sushi? No, but she couldn't remember correctly. They had met someone at the place they ate and then? God, her head hurt. Ugh, feels like she'd been hit with one of Sakura's chakra infused punches.

There was no reason for her to feel like this. It wasn't like she went drinking last nig-

Bingo. A light bulb went inside her head. If she could remember correctly, she had come home quite late, very late, late enough to not see any of her sleeping family. Team 8 only had a celebratory cup of sake, until they were attacked by Anko-san and a random fellow she was dragging around. It was all a blur from then on, but it was the only lead she had.

Hinata folded her hands from front of her face and looked to the side. Ah, what a predicament. "Ano, I think you should call Anko-san. I think she might know something about this."

Neji made a face at that, "What would Mitarashi-san know about this? Was she with you last night?"

"She might've been present when this-" Hinata gestured to her new body, "- may have happened." It was worth a try to question Anko about what happened. It was obvious enough to Hinata herself that she consumed too much alcohol to be to remember anything. Tsunade quickly summoned an ANBU soldier to locate Anko.

"Can you tell me what you remember of the incident?" Tsunade sat back at her desk, motioning for the two Hyugas to sit down.

"Well, I was with Kiba and Shino, we went out to eat after the mission. We went around the late evening. We ate and we were greeted by Anko-san and some man she was with. She spent some time with us, ordering drinks and having her join us. Uh, I can't remember much; it's a bit fuzzy, but I do remember Kiba and Shino leaving me and her together. The man she was with had passed out and was carried home by them." Hinata really tried to remember but she couldn't. It was like that whole part of her memory was wiped, how much did she drink that she blacked out. It was nerve racking!

"I-I don't remember much after that." She gave the Hokage an apologetic look. Tsunade nodded in understanding, she then dug around in one of her drawers pulling out a water bottle.

"For you, you must be parched; it'll help you with your head ache." Hinata reached out and grabbed the bottle gratefully. They didn't have to wait for long before two distinct proofing sounds resonated in the office. Anko and the ANBU both appeared, bowing respectfully before the Kage.

"Tsunade you called?" Anko gave a rather cheeky smile to the blonde Kage, before turning her attention to the two sitting. There was Neji in ninja attire, maybe they were going on a mission? Anko looked to the other boy, he was quite handsome, he even had long beautiful indigo hair just like-

"Hinata!?" Anko walked over to Hinata, grabbing the male turned Hinata's face in her hands. She turned his face every which way, even going as far as pulling the collar of the shirt to peek at their chest. Hinata squeaked at this.

"Why do you look like that? I thought the jutsu should've worn off by now!" Anko looked worriedly over Hinata.

"Anko, would you like to explain what is going on?" Tsunade watched over the small display with amusement before getting back to work. Anko glanced up at the Hokage.

"Hinata, has told me that you were the last to be with her after her team left from an evening out. It seems that you know more than our victim here as to why she is like this." A disgruntled look cover Anko's face.

"Ah yeah, about that. About that, it's quite a funny story really." Tsunade narrowed her eyes at her stalling. Anko cleared her throat, "Uh, after Hinata's teammates left with Taro, the man I was with, we decided to hang out for a bit. After a few more drinks we decided to get out of the restaurant." They were both pissed drunk, Hinata already not being able to walk without assistance. Anko was at the least strong enough to offer a shoulder, but they both stumbled along the road. They'd gotten onto the topic of men after behind whistled by a couple of equally drunk men. They complained on how hard it was and that men don't know how hard they had to work both at home and on missions.

Anko had the bright idea of transforming into a man with a powerful jutsu. It was a disguise used on recon missions and to gather information. It's duration would depend on how much chakra was poured in; it also came with a seal in the case that if they were captured their identities wouldn't be found out. Anko, having used the jutsu for both work and play easily performed it. She started to mockingly act as a man to her companion. Hinata laughed at the sight, crumpling into a ball from the sheer force of her laughter.

Hinata had wanted to try the jutsu too. But in her disoriented state, she had poured more chakra than Anko had. The jutsu was performed and they went on their merry way to whatever they had done that night. Anko had not thought of the repercussions of the girl performing the jutsu. All that Anko could remember is that she ended up in Taro's bedroom when she awoke in the morning.

Anko looked apologetically at Hinata, offering a nervous smile to the girl next to her, "So, I don't know particularly how long the jutsu will be in effect. It won't have any lasting effects, trust me I've made that mistake, turned myself into a child for about six months!" Anko tried to ease the girl but speaking of her own troubles with the jutsu just made it worse. The woman had turned herself into a child for six months! That was half a year! What if Hinata was like this for the rest of her life!

She couldn't fathom a life in the body of a boy. What would she do about clothing? Her missions? Her teammates would worry about her absence. What would her father say? The very thought of confronting him about this was horrifying.

"But! But! If we find the book that has the jutsu in it, it might tell us about what we can do." Anko piped in last minute. It wasn't some jutsu she made up, but saw in a book at the library looking for someplace to nap. Of course she didn't read any of the other information except on how to perform it. And of course it was in the restricted section of the library. "I think the time duration has to do something with the seal? Like, it tells you how long you have left. I could be wrong but without the book I wouldn't be able to tell." A bit of color came back into Hinata's face. If they could find the book then they could see if they undo the jutsu, or the very least know how long she has left on it.

"Well, we should find the book then. Better to figure this out than wait until later. I'll send out two ninja to look for the book at the Konoha Library. In the meantime, Hinata, Neji, I want you to inform the clan of this problem. Tell them that Anko was performing an experimental jutsu and I had you two come in to see with your byakugan. It had backfired and Hinata was transformed into a man. If the head or council wishes to speak with me, let them I'll take care of it." Hinata and Neji both stood and bowed, leaving the office with a rather lighter outlook. They walked out of the Hokage Tower and walked back to the compound.

"Do you think father will believe the story?" Hinata looked at Neji worriedly. Hiashi wasn't a stupid man, far from it. So the thought of him finding out the real truth was mortifying. The Hyuga Heiress out on the town drunk, no less disguised as a man! The gossip that would parade through the village.

"Like Lady Tsunade said, if he or the council wishes to speak with her on the matter, let them. I'm confident that he will believe it. You're father doesn't think of you that way, he knows that you are a proper lady; have more confidence in yourself." Neji put a reassuring hand on his cousin's shoulder, giving it a reaffirming squeeze. The two shared a gentle smile.

The small moment was interrupted with the squeals of girls that surrounded them. They clustered around the corner of a building watching them like hawks. Neji's face soured, "We should probably get going." _Vultures. Thank god, Hinata-sama wasn't like those girls who fawned over the Uchiha._ It was bad enough when Hinata was a woman, he only had to ward off unworthy suitors; now he has to fend off rabid girls who've gained a reputation of never giving up.


	2. Chapter 2: Hikaru's New Threads

Let's get this shit started. But first a few words since I forgot to mention. Okay so, the rookies are 19 and Team Gai are 20. There's a time gap of two years after Sasuke's return at 16 because I wanted to take care of the bad blood between him and the rest of the gang. I won't make anyone's dislike of him intense, just light jabs and taunts.

This story is supposed to maintain a light atmosphere, but I do plan to put in some more heavy scenes, nothing NSFW so you're safe, just some of that good emotional confrontations. I'm gonna say it now, y'all are gonna fucking hate me because I love suffering and making others suffer and I got stuff in store for ya'll. Depending how I write this, I may change the genres but not the rating since everything is fairly tame

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It was moments like these that Hinata wished she was a turtle so she could hide in her shell. But even as a turtle, Hisahi's hard stare would penetrate through. Yet, Hiashi's face was nowhere near an angry state; he was merely observing her blankly. But after years of living with the Hyuga, everyone was able to read even the faintest speck of emotion, so from what Hinata could gather, her father was stupefied. Hanabi was also present, except she was ogling her now male sister openly.

Neji just sat passively, already having gotten over the shock of his cousin and waiting for the clan head to speak. Hinata sat straight up, back tall and shoulders square. If she could exude confidence, then she could get through this. She wasn't sure what her father was going to say or do. He could bar her from going out, or not say anything and leave her as she was. In reality, Hiashi was quietly freaking out mentally. The sight of his daughter as a male was doing strange things to his digestive system and his perceptions of reality.

All was silent before Hiashi sighed. His brows furrowed and he rubbed the bridge of his nose. "So, if I heard correctly, you were both summoned by the Hokage to oversee the passage of chakra on an experimental jutsu performed by Anko Mitarashio. And this jutsu, by whatever means that it did, backfired on you Hinata, and transformed you into a man."

"Yes, father." Hanabi raised her eyebrows to Hinata's new voice. It was so strange, for her sister's girlish voice to change into a boyish one like Neji's. But if one thing persisted, it was the gentle and soothing tone that came from her just speaking. Even Hinata's beauty transferred over, her male counterpart was handsome and his face was similar to that of their father but with a softer touch. Though, with enough makeup and a change of clothes with breast pads, Hinata would look as she did before. Hanabi snickered quietly to herself at the thought.

"And, what may I ask, was this jutsu?" Shit, Neji didn't think this far.

Hinata spoke before her cousin could, "It was a transformation jutsu that had genjutsu properties in it. It would've allowed the user to seal an amount of chakra within a seal to maintain a different physical form. The idea was to create a withstanding disguise that would not impede the user's reserves constantly. " Hinata said dryly. She hoped her explanation was enough for Hiashi; she didn't know the exact makeup of the justsu itself but came to a conclusion around from what Anko said.

Hiashi frowned, "Had it not been under the Hokage's supervision I would have taken this to Mitarashio-san and asked for retribution. I will speak with the council about this dilemma and pay the Hokage a visit." Hinata deflated, Tsunade would have to deal with her father now, "For now, only those present and those in the council will know of this incident. You are not allowed to tell those outside of that group about this, until I have made a decision." He gave meaningful looks at each one of them. "Now, as for how to explain your absence, this will be discussed with the Hokage too." Ah yes, with her like this she won't be able to go on missions or anything like that. Even if she did make a clone, that clone was prone to getting hurt and then poof away. "We have to create a new identity for you; we should not leave loose strings untied."

"If I may speak uncle, Hinata and I on our way here came up with a new identity." Hiashi gave him a nod to continue, "I have chosen the name of Chiaki. Family wise, Chiaki is a member of the main house on the late Lady Chiyako's side that lives in a different village for political reasons." Hiashi thought for a moment.

"Hikaru. We will change the name to Hikaru." Hinata and Neji nodded in slight confusion. "Please continue."

"Right, we agreed that if we were to be seen outside the compound, Hikaru would be visiting the village to pay the clan a visit for an extended period of time. If I may suggest, to explain Hinata-sama's absence you can tell she went to visit Hikaru's family, in an exchange of sorts." Neji, was relieved that his uncle wasn't as angry as he thought; the whole ordeal was going smoothly, so smoothly it put him on edge.

"On a different matter Hinata-sama needs new clothes. Those in her closet won't be viable for her new body." A blush formed on Hinata's cheeks. Hiashi looked at his daughter, though in a male's body her behavior was still the same. If he had a son, would they act the same way? He'll never truly know.

"That is fine. I will think of specifics for Hinata's new persona later and inform you of any changes. If that is all then you are dismissed. I will call upon you if there is anything else we need to discuss." They all bowed before filing out of the room. Hinata was the last to go out, but stopped in the doorway of the sliding door. She turned her head towards her father. Something from the conversation was nagging at her brain.

"If I may ask, father, why the name Hikaru?" It wasn't that she was objecting the name, just curious as to why her father had requested it out of the blue.

Hiashi looked to his daughter, recalling her mother. He recalled a memory from before she was born, it was a tumultuous time, but there were some good memories from then, "It was the name your mother and I picked out had you been born a boy." He relaxed his expression and postures, letting the warm feelings of nostalgia wash over him.

Hinata opened and closed her mouth. She never knew that, it wasn't like her father to talk about her late mother. Hinata was only a little girl at the tender age of five when she died, and Hanabi barely reached the age of one to remember the woman. So, the little pieces of information that Hiashi let out about Chiyako were heartwarming but it always left her wanting more. Hinata decided to leave the conversation at that. She bowed and closed the door, running off to meet her sister and Neji where ever they went.

-/-

Hanabi and Neji waited in the courtyard for Hinata to join them. Hanabi was excited for this new development, the compound was getting boring. She had so many questions to ask her sister about her new body. Hinata came not too long after, finding them chatting to each other while they waited for her.

"Ah! Hinata-oneesan, how does it feel?" Hanabi got right into questioning her older sister. "Do you feel any different? Are your eyes still fine? How much do you think changed? Is it going to be like this forever? What does your body look like? What does it _feel_ like? Do you have a peni-!"

"Hanabi! Don't ask such perverse questions!" She clamped a hand over Hanabi's mouth. "The situation is already embarrassing; I don't need you asking me such questions." Her checks were flushed a brilliant ruby red. Her sister had the nerve to ask about her private areas! But she couldn't help it either, she herself had looked under her own pants to see if it were real. Hanabi humphed and swatted her sister's hand away.

"Well, I'm just curious is all." She pouted childishly and looked to the side. Hinata sighed and looked to her sister. Might as well answer a few of her questions, if not she'll start to get bratty.

"Uh, well…it feels weird. I know it's my body but it's such a drastic change. For one thing is that I'm much taller, it feels odd looking down to you and being eye-to-eye with Neji. I'm very bulky and my voice still catches me off guard sometimes." Hanabi got closer and measured their heights, going on the balls of her feet to measure with her outstretched arm.

"Wow, you grew like a foot! Wait; let me see your hand." Hanabi placed her hand palm to palm with Hinata's, "Ah, even your hand grew! What about your feet?" Hanabi placed her foot near Hinata's sandal clad one. They used to the same size shoe, but Hinata's foot was bigger now. "You really do have a guy's body. But, your finger and toe nails are still nice. Perfectly manicured, and cuticles clipped away. Your skin is soft and even too!" She gave Hinata a devilish smile, "You're quite the pretty boy Hikaru-niisan. With some work, you wouldn't need a new identity."

"Hanabi, stop teasing your sister." Hanabi stuck out her tongue out at Neji before turning back to her sister.

"Anyway, how long do you think you'll be this way?" Hinata had no way of knowing. She hoped the Hokage and Anko-san would find the book soon to undo this mess.

"I honestly don't know. It could be days, weeks, or even months." Hinata's face fell, she really hopped it was only a few days, and not six long months like Anko. Hanabi seeing how distraught her sister was gave her hand a squeeze

"Don't worry oniisan. It'll be over soon, and who knows, maybe you'll enjoy being a guy while you're at it." Hanabi tried to be optimistic; though she was enjoying teasing her sister if she had been in her place she wouldn't appreciate her world being turned upside down so suddenly.

"I know. It's just what am I going to do with everyone else. I can't tell them and can I act too friendly or they'll get suspicious." Hinata patted Hanabi's head and gave her a dulled smile. Neji decided to step in.

"Just like how we discussed with your father earlier. We'll just say you're touring town, and whoever we encounter from our friend group, we'll act as we should. Nothing bad is going to happen, Hinata. Trust me." He gave her a reassuring smile and Hanabi gave her now-brother a hug. It was a nice moment between the three, but Hanabi's curiosity got the better of her.

"So…do you have a thingy, ya know a wiener?"

"Hanabi, that is highly inappropriate!"

"….I d-do."

"Really?! That's so cool…but so weird!"

/-/

Hinata sat in her room, finally getting away from her sister and cousin. They all had a very odd and uncomfortable conversion about her new manly body parts, so she was glad she could sneak off while Neji was scolding her sister about privacy.

She stood and walked over to her vanity and sat on the plush cushion. Hinata looked in the mirror of her vanity, analyzing her features. Her once slim jaw was more angular, like Neji. Her brows were thicker and straighter than before. Her thick lashes stayed along with her eye shape. Her nose was a bit pointed, the cute rounded tip gone, strong if she could describe it. Her lips were still the same shape and fullness. She just looked very boyish, handsome. Pretty boy really.

"I'm a p-pretty boy." Though it was embarrassing, it wasn't that bad. But her long hair made her look even more like a girl. Not that she didn't mind, she was a girl…in a man's body. Maybe she could put in a braid or a ponytail like Neji, that'd at least make her passable as a boy. Or maybe she could cut it? No. No, no, no. That was going too far, she didn't know how changing this body would affect her original one. "I might as well just leave it in a braid." It was probably the best way to keep her hair out of the way and add to her new identity. She took out the hair tie in her hair and combed it with a fancy brush. Her hair was everything to her, it took so long to grow and take care of.

The day was so hectic. Never in her whole life did she think this would ever happen. That would be the last time she ever went drinking. In her whole 19 years of life, she swears she would never go again. No sir, this is the first and last time she'll ever do that. She put her comb down and flopped down on her bed unceremoniously. The sheet from the morning was still on the floor but she was too tired to pick it up.

Hinata flipped over on her back, her toes almost touched the foot board of her bed. She used to have so much room on her bed, now she could barely fit in it. She wanted to cry. As a last resort she grabbed a pillow and squeezed it to her face, hoping it would end her. The fluffy pillow did not allow her the sweet relief she desired. Hinata sat up deciding that going to sleep was her only option for her crumby mood. It may have been only midafternoon, but if Shikamaru could sleep a whole day away then she could too.

She walked to her bathroom and started her nightly routine. Hinata liked to care for her skin, though she would like to wear makeup like the rest of her friends, her skin just rebelled against any brand, expensive or not. Really the only makeup she could wear is mascara, a brow gel or lipstick. Eyeshadow would always irritate her eyes when she applied it, so she never bought it. So she made it up with pampering her skin with lotions, face masks and other products.

Hinata wondered if Neji had a routine similar to her's, he had such nice skin. She'll never really know unless she asked. Maybe the Hyuga were just blessed with good skin. Hinata finished her facial ritual and brushed her teeth. Last thing to do was…to use the toilet. Hinata stared at the offending object. Though harmless, its very being was a catalyst for the one thing she didn't want to do. She didn't want to look, and at the very least to touch it. She knows what it looks like, she wasn't some child, but it's still weird even if it's her body.

She jumped from one foot to the other, did she really need to go? She knew she was stalling "Ah! I don't want to." Hinata pulled at her own hair in anxiety. She was a ninja, a Hyuga! She tracked, fought and killed targets for pete's sake! She could do this! This was just another obstacle to pull through. If this was a mission she would have failed at this point.

"I just have to do this. For my own sake! If I'm going to be like this for who knows how long, I should at least know how to live like this," Hinata took in a deep breath and faced the toilet, and took her first step into manhood.

She went to sleep knowing she was prepared to redo her morning routine. She slept like the dead, not noticing the head poking in through her door to check up on her later on at night. Hiashi, though he never showed it often due to being clan head, worried for his family; especially now. He began to worry when Hinata never made it to dinner or answered a maid's request to come in and check on her. He gently closed the door and walked back to his office.

Hinata woke to the sun streaming into her window and a gentle knock on her door. Hanabi came in quietly, closing the door behind her to maintain privacy. In her arms a fresh outfit provided by Neji for Hinata to wear. She sat on the edge of the bed and gently shook Hinata's shoulder. "Good morning big brother Hi-ka-ru!" Hanabi emphasized each syllable of her sister's alias. Hinata groaned, hoping the events from yesterday were nothing but a dream. For good measures she groped around her chest; no luck, her breasts were gone.

"It's time to get up, Hikaru-oniisan! You, Neji and I are going shopping! You can't wear Neji's clothes all the time, or his underwear." Hinata gave a pointed look to Hanabi who only laughed. "Come on, we're all waiting for you! The council already knows about you and the maids of the main house do too! So there's no need to worry about sneaking around." Hanabi hopped off the bed and made her way out the room. "Hurry up, before the food gets cold! Suzuki-san made her special fried fish!" and with that she was gone.

Hinata sat up on her bed, rubbing her face and ruffling her hair, time to get up and start the day. She stretched her arms and back, feeling refreshed after her long sleep. She walked into the bathroom and turned on her shower, the hot steam fogging up the mirror and filling the room. She stripped from her pajamas and got into the shower. Hinata decided that there was no need to worry about her own body; it was just as it was, there was no changing it. Yet, she kept avoiding look down there unless she absolutely had too.

Going through the motions she scrubbed her body and washed her hair with her favorite shampoo, vanilla was always her favorite scent. She turned the shower off and strained her hair, twisting it into a towel. She brushed her teeth and wrapped her bathrobe around herself, she had to hurry up before they come looking for her. She dried and dressed quickly, jogging lightly to the small dining room where her family sat. She slowed her pace and peeked inside the open archway into the dinning room.

Neji, Hanabi, her father and even her maternal and paternal grandparents were at the table. Her grandparents on both sides were part of the Hyuga council, so it made sense that they were here besides being close family members. It put her slightly on edge. She cleared her throat and bowed before them "Good morning, I hope you all had a good night's rest." She rose and met with the eyes of her maternal grandmother. Her face showed unabashed emotion, surprise and interest. Hinata looked away and proceeded to sit down; clasping her hands she thanked for the food and slowly ate.

"How interesting. You still resemble Chiyako. I guess my daughter's beauty transfers beyond gender." Her maternal grandmother, Ayane Hyuga gave her an approving look. "I must say, this is quite a pickle; I'll be looking forward to what you will do." Hanabi who was sitting next to Hinata was failing to hold in her laughter. It would seem that Hanabi inherited their grandmother's sly personality.

"Make sure this does not hinder your responsibilities as clan heiress." Her paternal grandfather Koiji piped in, a stern look on his face. "Regardless if this incident occurred on the Hokage's supervision, you should have taken precautions to ensure nothing happened to you." If only Hinata could have, but she wasn't going to tell the truth.

"Yes, Grandfather." Hinata continued to eat her rice and nibbled on a piece of fried fish. It tingled her taste buds and made her stomach growl in hunger.

"Ah, Koiji-san. You shouldn't be so hard on the girl. She seems to know her situation quite well, don't you Hinata?" Her maternal grandmother was always sweet on Hinata, half due to her daughter's early death and her own choice. She was an outlier to the model structure of what a Hyuga was, but she was never admonished for it since her strength in the jukken was phenomenal and made up for it.

"Yes, Grandmother Ayane. I will continue with my responsibilities as a ninja and heiress." A perfect answer, Hinata congratulated herself for her lack of stutter.

"See. She knows her situation won't change her position." Ayane took a sip of her tea, enjoying the small way Koiji's brow twitched. It was easy to see where Hiashi took his personality from.

"So, I hear that you will be going out to buy new clothes. Please buy only what you need and not anything too gaudy or cheap. You must carry yourself as you always do, with pride and modesty. But you must exude Hyuga, you are part of a prestigious clan, not some common ninja." Koiji's wife Hana spoke. She was dressed in a light blue kimono with silver fish and a river running through it from her right shoulder to the bottom of her dress. It was simple but fashionable, nothing too flashy or common. She was a true matriarch of the Hyuga clan.

Hinata saw her grandmother quickly give a once over her attire, a plain black shirt and ninja pants and the sandals from yesterday. She probably looked more like a servant than an heiress. Her mother's father, Hiroki, was the only one who didn't speak. He glanced at her before deciding to speak, "I wish you the best of luck." He left it at that, knowing there was nothing else to be said. Hinata nodded her head and ate in silence. Honestly she was expecting them to grind her with questions or fillet her with disapproving stares, but it seems that her father explained it thoroughly to the council. She should thank him later.

The shopping trip shouldn't take too long, a few shirts, pants, underwear, socks and new shoes should do the trick. She might need to buy a training outfit, even though she wasn't going to go on missions for the time being, she couldn't let her body soften.

They finished their meals and the three young ninjas dismissed themselves from the table. Ayane looked to Hiashi, "Will she be alright? From what you said yesterday, the jutsu wasn't an ordinary genjutsu, but a mixture of a transformation and sealing technique." Ayane activated her Byakugan, looking at Hinata's chakra path. She noticed a medium sized pool of concentrated chakra around her navel under a seal. "Her system appears normal and her reserves are back to its maximum, but without the use of the Byakugan, one would not know that Hikaru was Hinata, or that there was anything wrong."

"She should be fine." Hiroki spoke, "Without the Byakugan no one would know. The clan will keep this within the walls of the compound."

"Unless, _that boy_ sees it. There's a low chance, but with his own kekkei genkei and intelligence he might find out. He's already a trouble maker from his past actions; I wouldn't put it past him to meddle in this." A hushed silence fell over the table. Hiashi knew who they were talking about and their worries weren't unwarranted.

"He has never interacted with Hinata before, and I highly doubt he would now. There's no benefit of him pursuing the problem. And if he does, then we will deal with it." Hiashi placed his chopsticks across his empty bowl.

He didn't see Sasuke Uchiha as a problem, but if it came to it, he hoped that Hinata would be able to resolve the problem before any of their worries happened.

/~~~/

The walk to the shopping center of town was rather uneventful, well as uneventful as it could get without having everyone's eyes on you and hearing their whispers. The trio attracted all eyes, from men and women, to the young and old. To see three Hyuga, the clan prodigy, the spunky skilled younger sister and the mysterious man from yesterday, people were curious. Hinata tried to focus on the task at hand; buy clothes and go home. She didn't want to be out more than necessary, but Hanabi was basking in the attention. Neji was keeping pace with his stoic face, effectively ignoring the flying comments directed towards them.

It wasn't a horrible experience, but it was embarrassing; Hinata forced her hands to not fidget but she couldn't force her cheeks to not blush. She could only wonder if her voice would stutter too if she were to talk. She sighed and tried to calm her nerves. Suddenly, she felt her braid being tugged.

"Ah, Hanabi please stop. That hurts." She tugged her braid out of her sister's hand and gave her a questioning look.

Hanabi stuck her tongue out, "You looked stressed. There's no need to worry about anything. No one knows who you are, or what's happened. Other than the Hokage and the clan, your secret is safe." Hanabi gave her a small smile, "Plus, me and Neji are here! If anything happens we can take care of it." She lifted her head upward in a cocky swagger.

Hinata giggled at her little sister's antics, "You really know how to cheer me up, huh." Hinata gave Hanabi's hair a light ruffle. Hanabi playfully slapped the offending hand away, "You're messing up my hair!" They began to squabble childishly.

Neji looked at the pair thoughtfully; he was pleased that Hanabi was able to loosen Hinata up. Neji felt a small pang in his chest when he would remember how the two were practically strangers when they were younger. After the duel between them, Hiashi paid his full attention to Hanabi, unofficially calling her the heir, though Hinata was still the next leader by clan law. They grew distant and it took a toll on Hinata, she loved her sister dearly, having spent the most time with her when their mother died. She tried to interact with her whenever she could, like helping her to sleep or talking idly when they were sitting at dinner. Hinata's efforts bore fruit when Hanabi started to seek her out whenever she had free time. It took a while for Hanabi to get over the self-perceived competition she had with Hinata.

Neji wasn't a saint either; he regrets all those years he spent focusing his anger and frustration on her, making her the easy scapegoat. He was foolish and it almost cost him his cousin's dear life in the chunin exams. It sent shivers down his spine when he would flash back to when he forced the chakra in his hand to attack her heart. He was lucky enough that she forgave him, too easily by his standards, but he was grateful they were able to be as close as they were when they were younger. Neji was pulled out of his reverie by Hinata's yelp; Hanabi's face was contorted in pain, Hinata had a lock of Hanabi's hair in her own hand.

He shook his head at their antics. The two developed a very playful relationship, Hanabi's spunky attitude rubbed off on her elder sister. "Alright you two, we're nearing the shopping center. Please behave yourselves, especially you Hanabi." Hanabi puffed her cheeks and stomped a few paces ahead.

"We need to focus. We need to buy Hin- Hikaru, some new clothes. He needs some undergarments, a few shirts, pants and shoes. The clan gave us more than enough to purchase everything. I think we should buy a majority of casual outfits and possibly a few training garments." Hinata hummed in agreement. She might have to get a whole new wardrobe if she was going to stay like this longer than a week. Though it was out of necessity, Hinata couldn't help but feel a bit giddy at the prospect of buying clothes for her new form. Neji's clothes were nice and all, but wearing them gave her a sense of shame, it was quite unladylike.

"I say we use all of it! Hikaru deserves to be dressed as good as he looks. Look at him, these rags aren't suited for his gentle appeal." Hanabi gave a crucial eye to the shirt Hinata had on, and looked distastefully at the worn sandals.

"Those _rags_ are my clothes, Hanabi." She held his stare with her own equally pale eyes.

"Well, you need to update your clothes, Neji! You're starting to dress like father and there's only enough room for him and his plain tastes." Hinata kept her lips in a firm line, trying to hold down her amused smile.

"Well, at least I don't dress myself in such showy and gaudy colors. It's actually quite becoming of your name, loud and obnoxious." Hinata chocked at Neji's ruthless comment. Hinata prayed they didn't continue their banter; they already were making a scene.

She cleared her throat, "Aright you two, enough please. We can't make a scene." She knew that once they started rolling, there was no stopping the two. She was glad her little sister and cousin could get along, but they could get intense when exchanging jabs. The air was already getting heavy with competition, and the trip would nose dive if they acted on it.

The two relented, opting to keep the atmosphere clear for now. They would continue later on, maybe trading blows in the dojo instead. Hanabi looked around, seeing that they made their way into the commercial district of the village. She could see multiple shops, but looked for specialty ones in clothes. There were a few stores that specialized in ninja gear, but they mostly sold things that were plain and boring, nothing fashionable or remotely pleasing to the eye. She knew of one shop, popular to young and fashion forward ninja like her, called Kikiyo's Garb. It was simple yet the designs and fabrics allowed for ninja activity and casual wear. There were even a few selections of flashy clothes she wanted Hinata to try on.

It was a perfect place to spend all their money on Hinata and maybe a bit for herself. "Let's go to my favorite shop, it's not too far from here." Hanabi tugged on Hinata's shirt, leading her across the street and down the road to a medium sized corner store. Neji trotted behind them, catching up from the twos' quick pace. He already knew that he was going to have to restrain his younger cousin and do damage control. He sighed and followed them inside.

For a popular shop, there were only a few people pursuing through the shelves and lines of clothes. Neji wondered of their envelope of money was enough to cover all that they needed to buy. Hanabi had already dragged off Hinata to the men's section of the store and was riffling through shirts. He made his way over and scanned the pants hanging on metal rods. "These materials are used for ninja attire; I'm surprised they were able to use it in these clothes." Neji was no fashion designer, but he knew that the clothes used on missions and training had to last, or the very least withstand battle.

Hinata herself looked at the racks of sweaters and hoodies, and picked up a dark blue hoodie with white pockets, "They have such nice clothes. I'd feel bad to ruin them."

"It'd be more of a waste to not use them for what they were made for, right?" Hinata jumped, swerving her head to her right. A young store clerk stood before her, sending her a friendly smile. "My name is Momo, would you like any help buying clothes today." Momo's hair fell in long black curly locks with her fringe pinned back by rhinestone studded clips. She had a cute face, tanned with a generous sprinkle of freckles. Hinata felt slightly intimidated by the beautiful girl, regardless if she was in a boy's body and need not compare she felt her insecurities raise.

"U-uh, yeah! Yes, please." Hinata squeaked, her face getting hot. Momo just laughed at the young man. She peeked at his pink face, noticing how cute he was. He was quite the looker; he gave off such an atmosphere that made her want to tease him.

"I'm sure we can find you some clothes. You're quite handsome, I'm sure anything would look good on you." She leaned in closer, blinking at Hinata innocently. Hinata wasn't used to such compliments, it made her bashful.

"A-Ah, thank you. You're quite pretty yourself; you're hairclips are very c-cute." Hinata gently touched the clip on her head, admiring it. She wondered where she bought it.

Momo stared at him; the boy was a head taller than her and cocked his head to her. She could feel her face heating up from his gentle but nervous smile. She was so used to be the one to tease, but he turned the tables on her fairly quickly. The boy's fingers brushed her ear ever so briefly sending her in a frenzy.

She straightened suddenly, "R-Right! Well, we should get you some clothes then!" Momo promptly walked off, grabbing shirts and pants from tables and racks. Hinata let out a breath of relief, glad the girl deviated her attention somewhere else, she was never used to her looks being the center of attention.

A low whistle came from behind her, "Wow, never knew you were a natural flirt. No wonder Neji's always on the lookout." Hinata sputtered at the statement. "Close your mouth big brother, flies will fly in," Hanabi dropped a pile of outfits in her sister's arms, "Here, let's go try on these while your little friend over there cools down." Hanabi excitedly pulled her sister's arm to the dressing room, she hoped the outfits would look as good as she imagined.

Hanabi had a certain vision in her mind for her elder sister when it came to her male form. Since Hinata wouldn't be going on missions for the time being, and would only keep up training, she might as well have her dress more for village life. Basically, Hanabi wanted to use Hinata as her own doll and dress her as an icon. Her sister deserved to look good, her collection of sweaters and less than form fitting pants grated on her nerves. Hanabi wished this new experience would wake her sister up and start buying clothes that showed off how pretty she was.

She pushed Hinata inside the dressing room and sat waiting on a bench near a stand of mirrors. Hinata locked the door and dropped the heap of clothes on small seat and sighed. She might as well get this over with and try on all the clothes her little sister gave her. She just hoped Neji or the nice store clerk didn't end up giving her more clothes to try on. So she quickly got dressed and opened the door to reveal her first outfit.

Neji had a neat pile of undergarments, packs of simple boxer briefs and a pair of black shin length ninja boots and a shorter pair of blank ninja sandals. The clerk, Momo had two outfits in her arms and stared intently at Hinata, almost star struck. Hinata came out in a sleeveless dark blue sweater with a flying crane embroidered on the back, a white sleeveless shirt underneath, and a pair of black jogger pants detailed with leather cuffs and pockets. Hinata stood on top of the elevated podium and looked at herself from all angles. Hanabi approved the outfit; it was very much Hinata and her minimal ways. It emphasized the muscular arms and broader shoulders she now had. "Good, good! Now try on the other ones!"

Each consecutive outfit outlined a certain aspect of Hinata's new body. She found that Hanabi's choice of pant size was bordering scandalous when she could see the very outline her buttocks and unmentionables in the front. They weren't that tight but she started to see a trend. Some shirts were flashy, some of them being made with fishnet near the abdomen, or have little kanji embroidered on the breast or sleeve. Though, there was a particular outfit that somehow had less cloth; low riding pants and a crop top with a plunging neckline. Hinata knew she didn't have to worry about her chest any longer, but showing that much skin was too much, male or female. It also didn't help that Hanabi forced her into various poses when she came out to show them.

The clothes were breathable, yet questionable. She trusted her sister, and Neji didn't seem to object to too many of the clothes, so she guessed it was fine. Hinata finished changing back into her original clothes and took the pile out of the dressing room with her. She found Hanabi and Momo looking at Momo's chosen outfits critically. Hinata walked over, "Is something wrong Hanabi?" She asked leaning over the clerk's shoulder.

Hanabi gave a grunt and then lifted up the same navy sweater Hinata looked at earlier, "I'm not sure about this sweater, you have so many already." Hanabi furrowed her brows; she really didn't want to buy any sweaters for her sister. God only knows the girl would continue wearing it even after she turns back into a girl.

Hinata turned a smile to the clerk, "I was looking at that earlier. I'm glad that you choose it." She truly was, now Hanabi had to buy it since Hinata didn't pick it out. Momo only nodded silently, averting her eyes to the sweater in the younger girl's hands, "I saw that you were looking at it. I thought it would a nice touch to the rest of your clothes."

"You're very thoughtful, I'm glad that you're helping me and my cousins. I don't normally go out shopping all that much." Hinata let out a nervous laugh. It was all true; she would usually buy the necessary. She never went out of her way to buy the newest trend, being a ninja and part of a well-known clan made her schedule busy. She wished she could be closer to Ino or Sakura, they tended to always go out shopping or buy cute accessories.

The girl let out a small chuckle, "I can tell by what you're wearing," She paused before hurriedly stuttering, "N-Not that what y-you're wearing is bad! No, I j-just meant that you n-need to look at the options! Ah-no! It's just that-!" The girl went on to ramble.

Hinata was utterly baffled yet amused. The girl was waving her hands around and rambling on, her face flushed. Hinata felt a kinship with the stuttering girl, there were many times were she misstated things, "It's okay, Momo-san. You don't have to apologize. I wouldn't be here in your store if I didn't want to change my clothes." Hinata gave a reassuring smile; she hoped to quell her worries. The frazzled girl shut her mouth and nodded, scurrying away to the front of the shop, "I-I'll be at the front when you are ready."

Hanabi let out another grunt and tossed the hoodie into the pile of clothes in Hinata's arms. "Ah! Hanabi be careful!" Hinata stumbled over to catch the flying article.

"Ne, if anyone who should be careful is you, Hikaru-oniisan! Keep up that act and charm and you're going to drag yourself into a hole!" Hinata raised a brow; she wasn't acting any different from her normal self.

She gave Neji a questioning look he just shook his head, "I'll talk to you when we get back home." Hinata wasn't sure what the problem was, but she let it slip for now. Neji on the other hand was trying to figure out how to best tell Hinata to not act like her normal self.

They made their way to the front to purchase their items. Momo's eyes gave fleeting glances at Hinata and it made her feel a bit uncomfortable; did she have something on her face? Hanabi took out a wad of cash from the envelope and paid for them. Neji paled when he took the receipt from the girl, the clothes had to be worth it and last for a hundred years. It was more than what he got for an A-rank mission.

"Thank you for your patronage!" Momo gave a bow and gave them the bags. They nodded and started to make their way to the door. "Ah, excuse me sir!" Hinata felt a tap on her shoulder and turned to see Momo. Hanabi and Neji waited patiently at the door, listening in on what the girl was saying. Neji had a bad feeling.

"Yes?" Hinata turned her full attention to the girl. Momo fidgeted and took in a shaky breathe. Her face the color of a cherry, Hinata wondered if she was alright.

"May I know your name?" Hinata felt relieved, and easily answered her question. Momo's eyes sparkled at her as she tried out his name, "Hikaru… Hikaru-kun, w-would you like to go out sometime?" Hinata's brain short circuited and took her a while to process before she felt her face explode in heat. Was she just asked out on a date!? And so suddenly, by this stranger!? Wait, no, she could just be misunderstanding the question, she had to think logically for a second. There was no way the girl was asking for that. Hinata was a girl for goodness's sake and there wasn't much substance to see either in her male form. Maybe she just wanted to be friendly, or this might be her way of apologizing from her earlier comment.

The thought comforted Hinata's mind and heart, "Su-," and just as suddenly Neji came behind her, his left hand clamped down on her mouth.

"I'm sorry, but we are in such a hurry. And my cousin is so busy this week and for the rest of his stay here. Please excuse us." Neji practically dragged the dumbfounded Hinata away from a shocked Momo. They made it halfway down the road where it was quieter before Neji let go of Hinata.

"You need to be more careful, Hinata-sama." Neji gave his cousin a stern look. Of all the things to happen, and Hinata had to almost trap herself on an outing with a girl. He was going to have a long talk with her later. "You need to watch what you say to other people, especially girls now that you are a man."

Hinata rubbed her chin; his grip was particularly strong and forceful that time. She didn't understand where he was coming from, but by the looks of it she was going to get an earful from him later. She sighed; being a boy was getting more confusing and complicated by the hour.

"Come on slow pokes! We got to get home and put these away." Hanabi had gone on ahead of them and was waving her hand to get their attention. They picked up the pace to catch up with the exuberant Hanabi.

They didn't get very far before a loud bark was heard. Hinata felt a cold sweat form and she saw Neji stiffen from her peripheral vision. There was only one animal she knew that sounded like that. It was almost deafening to hear the sound of those thundering paws behind her. It was almost as if everything was in slow motion. Hinata turned around and saw the large mass that was Akamaru running to her at top speed. His body flew into the air in a large leap, directly to her. His body briefly blocked the sun and his shadow casted over her. Akamaru landed squarely on Hinata and knocked them both to the ground.

Not far behind him was his owner, "Hey, Hinata we've been looking all over the place for you! Where you been?"

Kiba was standing before an annoyed Hanabi and an outraged Neji, with a giant smirk. Hinata wanted to die; she had hoped to not see any of her friends today.

* * *

*takes a hit* y'all best believe i was surprised when this shit was nearly double the size of the first chapter. I love team 8, my bois Kiba and Shino and Hinata need more stories together. Also, Sasuke's introduction is soon so don't worry :) Y'all should listen to Melomance, they're a korean duet and their songs are simply amazing! I was listening to their Senimental album while writing this chapter, so take a listen ( i cried like a bitch bruh). Anyway, i hoped you enjoyed this chapter!


	3. Chapter 3: A Lecture on Manliness

Masculine expectations chapter 3

Hey guys! Sorry for the super long wait for this chapter. I actually had this written for a good while but I decided to rewrite it because it wasn't flowing well and I felt that I didn't want to publish this chapter until I had a good two or three chapters in draft form! As of right now I have an outline for later chapters and written up to chapter 8. I had finals to do so I wasn't able to edit or revise at all or even think about this fic. But, I'm on winter break right now, so I hope I can publish in a timely manner :)

Okay so I did a bit of research, and looked at the arcs that happened in Naruto Shippuden. So, according to the manga, the battle between Itachi and Sasuke happened before the Pein Arc. I thought I might as well let that be canon in this story, since I really thought about it and found I could use it to my advantage. You can assume that, with Nagato's death the Akatsuki finally ended and such and everything is back to normal. By this time, a good majority of Konoha would be rebuilt. Enjoy!

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Akamaru barked cheerfully and licked at Hinata's face. She sputtered and tried to get the dog's large tongue away from her face. As much as she loved getting kisses from the happy pooch there's was only so much she could take.

Neji turned angrily towards Kiba, "Kiba! Get your mutt off of my cousin!" Of all the people to run into it had to be the Inuzuka. Neji was on good terms with Kiba, but his loud personality and voice would grate on his nerves given enough time. Neji preferred the company of the bug user, even if he irked him time to time, he could at least enjoy a cup of tea with him and have a proper conversation.

Kiba clicked his tongue, "Jeez, who spit in you tea today. Come on Akamaru, get off her!" The dog barked and backed away from the flailing body. Hanabi came jogging over when the dog finally backed off. She made a gagging noise when she saw her sister.

Hinata touched her face and felt a slick coating of saliva on her hand, she almost gagged on the strong smell of dog breathe emanating from it. "Ugh, gross," Kiba's ears perked up and he looked closely to who was on the ground. It wasn't Hinata; just someone who looked like her.

Kiba narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the one he thought was Hinata. They smelled oddly like his teammate. He knew that Hinata only had a sister, no such mention of a twin brother who would've had a similar scent pattern. "Who are you", Kiba took a step forward and leaned down to get a better look. Neji intervened and blocked his view; Hanabi grabbed a handkerchief from her back pocket and started dabbing away the slobber. She would have to burn the poor piece of fabric later.

"That is none of your business, Inuzuka." Neji became defensive; this wasn't the time or place for his cousin to be seen by their close friends. Kiba in turn became annoyed by Neji's suspicious behavior.

"It's my business when Akamaru led me to this guy who smells like Hinata! I'm just curious as to why he has her smell!" It was peculiar to Kiba, he never smelled or seen this guy before in the village. Then again, he never really made an effort to meet all of Hinata's family so who could blame him. Then there was the other theory which he really didn't want to think on, he would have to beat this guy up if it meant to keep Hinata away from any shady guys.

Neji took a calming breathe; Kiba's renowned stubbornness was well known to their friend group. There was no use in trying to evade him at this point, "This is my cousin, Hikaru. He's visiting from his village, a main branch division in tea country." That should satisfy his curiosity.

Kiba raised an eyebrow, "Tea Country? I thought the Hyuga Clan only lived in Konoha." For someone who followed his instincts, Kiba was unusually sharp today, Neji cursed his stars.

"What our clan does out of Konoha is none of your business," Neji spoke with finality. Hanabi snorted at the two men; Kiba had apparently not taken Neji's tone well and the two began to bicker.

Hinata was carefully brushing herself off and avoiding drawing attention to her, but Akamaru was making it difficult. He kept smelling her and poking her hand with his nose. He cocked his head cutely to the side, as if confused on who he was looking at. He knew that this person smelled like the Hyuga girl, but they didn't look like her exactly. He let out a whine of frustration, before pawing gently on Hinata's pants.

Hinata's heart cracked, she oh-so wanted to comfort the large dog and tell him it was her, but she couldn't. She couldn't draw any connections to her disguise. So, she did want any insane person would do; she gave a disdained look at Akamaru and moved away from him, giving him the cold shoulder. Better that Hikaru be known that he disliked dogs, than Kiba finding out Hikaru was Hinata. Her smell was already giving her away.

"Ah, please go away." She made a shooing motion with her hands to the whining dog. She had to be strong, for both Akamaru and her. The dog backed up a couple of steps, a sad look adorning his face. Hinata's resolve almost broke, but was saved when Kiba called over Akamaru to his side, seeming to notice the two.

"Well, it seems that your cousin here doesn't like dogs. Are all you Hyuga's the same cold ice blocks?" Kiba sent a frown to the odd boy, obviously making his judgements of him. Hinata gave a nervous smile, she made the right choice. But, her heart still twinged when Kiba's dislike was directed to her, whether he knew it or not. So, Hinata decided that she could at least have Kiba on Hikaru's good side with proper reasoning.

"I-I was attacked by a large dog when I was a child, so I guess that's where my dislike for them came from." She cursed her stutter and rubbed the back of her head nervously and sent Kiba a sheepish smile.

Kiba stared at her with a critical eye, obviously analyzing her statement. Hinata started to grow nervous from the gaze and felt a sweat form on her brow. She almost looked away and Neji almost intervened when Kiba let out a chuckle, "Well, when you put it that way I can see where you're coming from. Akamaru here isn't so bad; he's probably the strongest nin-kin of his litter, but he's really nice if you give him a chance. Go on Akamaru; show him what you're made of."

Akamaru gave a resounding bark to Kiba, before trotting over to Hinata slowly. Hinata stiffened her body and gave a wary look to the dog; she hesitated and gave a glance to Kiba. His face was watching what she would do; it was like he was testing her. Hinata reached a hand and patted Akamaru on the head, "Nice dog… good boy," and she retracted her hand quickly. The big dog panted happily, appeased that this strange and confusing person had finally accepted him. He pushed his snout in Hinata's hand and nibbled on her finger's playfully. Hinata squeaked and petted the dog more thoroughly, scratching behind his brown ears. It wasn't like Hikaru had a phobia of dogs, but maybe he would be wary. Hinata made a note to keep up that characteristic.

Kiba smiled in approval, happy that Akamaru was able to turn a Hyuga into a dog lover; there was enough ice blocks in the village as it was. Akamaru bounced over and snuggled against his master's leg. Kiba's nose twitched and the same smell he though was Hinata waft into his nose. The smell was definitely too strong to be a coincidence. Kiba growled, if this guy was anywhere near Hinata in any way that wasn't saintly, then that would explain the strong smell, "Just who are you to Hinata."

Hinata heard Kiba's voice become gruff, he was getting angry. What for, Hinata did not know she might as well answer him to assuage him, "I'm Hinata-sama's cousin on her mother's side. It's been said that we resemble each other very much, but I guess that goes for smell as well then." She gave a chuckle and stepped forward to Kiba, and outstretched a hand, "I'd like to introduce myself properly. I'm Hikaru Hyuga. It's a pleasure to meet you." Hinata then noticed that she was taller than Kiba. She wondered if this is how her taller friends saw her, having to look down to her to talk. She contemplated whether or not to bend her knees, and opted not to.

She remembered how Kiba was listing off reasons he was great and Shino butted in and said that he wasn't tall and made a dramatic show of bending his knees to be eye level with Kiba. Hinata had to stop both boys from getting hurt in the end. The memory only made Hinata smile brighter, sending a jolt of surprise to Kiba at the familiarity of the grin.

Kiba raised a brow, but took the outstretched hand anyway, "Kiba Inuzuka, the pleasure's all mine." The boy in front of him seemed safe enough; he didn't get any bad vibes from him. He almost radiated an aura of innocence, it weirded him out a bit.

Then it hit him again, that damn smell. It confused the heck out of him, just what was it. He gripped the hand tighter and pulled Hinata in. Hinata stiffed at the sudden action and felt her face heat up when Kiba sniffed at her hair and came quite close to her neck. She could feel her pulse quicken and knew Kiba could hear it. Kiba backed off a bit and huffed. Neji was currently being held back by Hanabi, he was ready to push back the dog boy.

Kiba stared at the boy, Hikaru he recalled. He took one final sniff and backed away having found his answer, "You smell like vanilla." He remembered how Hinata would always smell like that; she once told him it was her brand of shampoo that she used. "What a girly smell, did they just give you whatever they had on hand, or did you pick it out?" Kiba gave a loud laugh. He was glad that he found his answer, but there was still that bit of uncertainty, almost as if something was blocking his nose. He decided not to dwell on it figuring that is was just an unfamiliar smell.

Hinata didn't know whether to be insulted as a man or woman. Kiba never said anything bad about her smell before, but now that she had the body of a man her favorite shampoo was a bad thing. Hinata decided that she might as well defend her male counterpart, even though it didn't make much sense to her, "At least I don't smell like wet dog." A weak comeback, it was something that Kiba heard constantly from Shino whenever it rained or after a rather intense training session.

"At least I don't look like a girl. I get it that you Hyuga like long hair, but Neji here at least looks like a man." Hinata felt herself blush in embarrassment; she felt a small pang at her confidence. She was really trying her best to be convincing to others, but it seems that her acting skills were subpar. She knew she had a more feminine look, but she didn't expect to look that much like a girl.

She sent Kiba a pointed look; she just couldn't go down like this. She thought of Ino and what she would say, and opened her mouth, "At least I'm a good looking girl; you look like a drowned rat." She flipped her braid from her shoulder to her back and crossed her arms for emphasis, a nervous but confident expression on her face. She'd seen Ino say something similar to some girl and it absolutely destroyed them. Hanabi clapped her hands on her mouth, desperately trying not to laugh at her sister's comeback. Neji rubbed the bridge of his nose, desperately trying to figure out some way to get rid of the Inuzuka before his cousin embarrassed herself even more.

Kiba gaped at the proud looking boy and let out a snicker, this guy was a riot. He shook his head, and wrapped around an arm around Hinata's neck, making her hunch over. "Alright, alright, no need to get your panties in a twist princess. We're friends now got it!" He turned them towards a frowning Neji, "Hey bring your cousin here to eat with us some time; I bet everyone else will like to meet him!" Kiba flashed Hinata a bright smile and ruffled her hair, extracting a surprised squeak from her.

"Geez, you even act like a girl. Hang out with me and our friends, and you'll be on your way to man hood." Kiba clapped Hinata's back roughly, and backed away from the three, "Well, I got to go now. See you later guys." He started to jog away, but suddenly stopped in his steps, he had almost forgotten why he was here in the first place, "Hey, where is Hinata anyway?"

Hanabi decided it was her time to speak to the Inuzuka, "She's in Tea Country; she's visiting the family there for a while." Kiba pursed his lips and nodded, seemingly satisfied with the answer he disappeared with Akamaru from sight.

The three watched him go and a breath of relief flew out of Neji's mouth. He gave a reprimanding look at Hinata, "You and I have a lot to talk about when we get home." Hinata nodded mutely, opting not to speak. They grabbed the forgotten shopping bags from the ground and made their way home. Thankfully they weren't stopped by anyone and passed through the compound gates without fuss.

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Hinata and Neji were currently in the Branch House quarters of the compound. After dropping off her bags of clothes in her room and informing Hiashi that they were done shopping, Neji led Hinata to his house, and then his room. What he was about to discuss with his cousin was of major importance, especially after their little meeting with Kiba.

Neji paced around his room, wondering on how to begin his little talk with Hinata. It was obvious his cousin didn't know how to act like a boy, much less a man in public. Neji didn't want Hinata to be ridiculed for her actions or mannerism by others, her behavior was a curse, it may have been fine when she had her girl form, but as a boy it could be problematic.

Hinata watched her cousin pace around deep in thought. She knew Neji was annoyed with her, she could tell from the way he talked to her when Kiba left. She didn't really know what to make of it, only that Neji wanted to talk to her about some things and that it was very important. Neji paused and glanced at Hinata, she was getting nervous. He sighed, he might as well get over with it, "Hinata, as I said earlier, I wish to discuss something very important with you." Hinata nodded slowly, putting all her attention on him.

"Because of circumstances, you know have a male body. So, you're normal behavior when you had a female body can't…you can't act the same." He paused and scrunched up his nose, trying to see if he could word it right, "What I'm trying to say is, there are certain masculine expectations that you need to know of." Hinata raised a brow at that, Neji merely avoided her gaze.

"Masculine expectations? Can you elaborate Neji-niisan." He gave a curt nod.

"You remember how that girl at the shop acted around you? That is the type of behavior you have to stop. You were overly kind to her, and even touched her hair. She considered that as you flirting, and you almost said yes to going out on a date with her." Hinata's eyes widened, she didn't think she was being overly nice to the girl or making any advances.

She blushed in embarrassment, "I-I didn't think of it that way. I didn't mean to, honest. She just made me nervous. I'm not used to having so much attention on me like that." Hinata felt bad for unknowingly leading the girl on.

Neji shook his head, "No, that's quite alright. You didn't know, and I don't blame you. But you have to watch what you say or do to girls from now on until we figure out how to turn you back. It may be seen as friendly between women, but when a man does that it means he's interested in the person." Neji knew his cousin was friendly by nature, and that was both a strength and weakness.

"I'll be more careful then. But, what if I see Sakura, Ino or Tenten? How should I act then? " It was quite confusing honestly; she didn't think it was very logical.

Neji thought for a moment, "Well, don't be so familiar with them since Hikaru doesn't know them; we still have to keep up your disguise. Treat them as you would if you were on a political trip for the clan, and you were meeting the daimyo. That should be good start. And don't be so nervous around them either, they could take that as a sign of you liking them." She nodded and thought more about this piece of information. Maybe that's how Kiba and Shino found out her crush on Naruto all those years ago.

"And keep your compliments to a minimum, especially around Ino." Both knew that Ino loved being showered with praise on her looks and skills, especially if it came from a good looking boy. They all knew when Sai called Ino 'Beautiful', it was all she could talk about for the next week. Hinata mulled it over, thinking back to the clerk Momo. Maybe that's why she blushed and stuttered so badly; Hinata couldn't help but feel a little sense of pride at that. She shook her head at the thought; there was no time to wonder about that.

"Moving on, you need to change the way you carry yourself." Neji noticed that with his cousin's innocent air around her and her quiet nature, she would attract unwanted attention from both parties. He would've liked for his cousin to stay the way she was, but in order to keep her identity a secret, they had to mix it up a bit. "Be a bit more assertive, and speak you're mind a bit more. I know you don't like standing out but you have to, Hinata. Act a bit more like Shino, or Shikamaru if you have to. Being as jumpy or shy is going to give the wrong impression."

"I'm not jumpy," she grumbled quietly. Okay, maybe she was a little. "How do I act around everyone else? Kiba seemed fine with me."

Neji nodded with agreement, "Yes that may be the case. But in any other situation we don't know for sure. Don't cower away from things and don't submit to others so easily." Neji sighed it was a bit hard to explain these things, "Just…just follow my lead when we're with other people. You don't have to change that much, but be mindful of the things you do with people." She nodded, "Also, be careful what you say around the boys. They might think you're coming on to them if you say something that you'd normally say as a girl."

"Nii-san!" She squeaked out, blushing scarlet. The thought of any of them, of Naruto thinking that was so scandalous.

"And if any girl ask you out on a date, say no. I already have enough trouble with warding off those unsavory village men and ninja trying to court you when you were a girl." Neji crossed his arms remembering the times he used the Byakugan and found admires trailing his cousin. There was no telling what they'd do to her.

Then it hit him, the girls from the shopping center. Neji uncrossed his arms and walked over to his cousin who was sitting on his bed. He roughly clamped his hands on her shoulders, and stared intensely in her eyes. Hinata's eyes widen to saucers, her mouth open in surprise at the sudden turn of events.

"Hinata, if those rabid girls from earlier every touch you in your private areas please don't hesitate, and use the gentle fist." Neji would die first before they even attempted to kidnap Hinata.

"W-WHAT!?" Hinata couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"The Uchiha might have been able to survive them, but Hinata; these girls are a mix of kounoichi and civilian." Neji felt his byakugan start to manifest, "They'll do horrible things to you. I've heard the stories, they speak like they're hunting game and wave articles of clothing in the air like trophies." Neji once saw Sasuke run off topless, a horde of girls fighting over a blue shirt like wild animals. It disgusted him the lengths they went to obtain anything that touched the Uchiha.

"Do you understand me, Hinata. Run away and avoid them at all costs. And if they do touch you anywhere inappropriate, I'll personally, no, gladly shove-"

"Neji-niisan enough! I understand! You don't need to tell me anymore!" Her face and neck were the color of tomatoes. The image of fangirls was both frightening and blush inducing, and all the talk about her private areas was mortifying.

Neji pinched her cheeks, "And don't blush so much. That'll give you away quicker than the way you act." She squeaked in pain and batted away his hands pitifully; Neji merely flicked her on her nose. She was so soft, Neji hoped she didn't get hurt or experience anything to horrifying. Small tears formed in her eyes from the pain he inflicted on her face. Neji took out his hanky and dabbed at his cousins face, "And don't cry, Hyuga don't show emotions and men don't cry," Lee may cry, but Neji was sure his teammate was on another plane of existence from everyone else.

"It's all so c-confusing! I have to act a certain way with different people, and be careful of what I say. I understand that I have to make up a new identity for Hikaru, but is it really that problematic to stay the way I am." Neji raised a brow at that.

"Do you want to go on dates with other girls Hinata? Have those rabid fangirls after you?" Hinata shook her head no, "Or very much, have everyone find out that it's really you instead of Hikaru." She shook her head vigorously. "Then, it's important that you follow what I say and do." He removed his hanky away from her face and back into his pocket. Hinata sniffled and rubbed her eyes, Neji stared blankly at her. She was really too cute for her own good, man or woman. Neji wondered if Hinata would've acted different if she had actually been born a boy.

Hinata cocked her head to the side when she noticed him staring, "What's wrong?" Neji figured that a male Hinata wouldn't be any different. His cousin was his cousin, there's no changing that.

"Well, for starters, you need to change you're shampoo. Kiba is right about you smelling girly. No man I know uses vanilla scented hair products." Hinata frowned at that, she didn't want to change her shower products. And she didn't like the smell of the shampoos or body washes Kiba or Shino would use, they were so bland. If anything, she'd rather use Neji's shower products. At least the smell of pine was refreshing.

"Does that mean we have to go back out again?" Hinata didn't really want to, but if she had to she would. Neji mulled it over and nodded "We'll just go tomorrow. It's been a long day, and lunch is almost ready. So we can just relax for the rest of the day." She nodded and flopped back on Neji's bed. She hopped everything went alright in the coming days. She played with her braid as she thought over the day and furrowed her brows.

"Neji-niisan, do I really look that feminine even as a man?" She just felt off about it, she already had Kiba become suspicious about her. It made her feel insecure, what if she couldn't act the part and her identity was found out! Neji basically told her to be manlier, but what does that even mean, and what were those so called masculine expectations? And her smell, what was so bad about it? She personally felt smelling like something delicious was probably more enjoyable than 'Dark Temptation', whatever that meant.

"Well…" Neji didn't know what to say. He was completely lost as to what to say. He figured that Hinata was thinking back to what Kiba had said. "I guess how you retaliated to his insult was a bit…curious for a man. I've never seen anything like it in all honesty. Usually, we attack each other based on strength or things we're proud of." Neji had to think about what he would've said to the Inuzuka, probably something about his family or his clan or something of the like.

Neji took a closer look at his cousin, "You've always had a soft look since we were kids. I'm not surprised that it still followed you up till now, even in your new form. And your hair is fairly well kept and it is in a popular look for girls." Neji grabbed the braid and thwacked her forehead with it, earning him a surprised yelp. "And the way you react, I wouldn't be surprised if the other boys thought you were a cry baby or overly sensitive." Especially among ninja men, they would probably push Hinata around. His work was cut out for him.

"...So, I'm not handsome then?" She looked to her cousin for his answer. Hinata didn't know why she was so hung up about that particular tidbit. She was never so openly vain about her appearance, she would rather hide herself in her large sweaters, and favor comfort over fashion. Maybe she as didn't know herself all that well after all.

Neji raised an eyebrow, this was dangerous territory. "...You are h-handsome?"Neji said skeptically. Hinata was not satisfied with his answer and turned away from him. She felt that no matter what Neji said his answer wouldn't have been good enough. Hinata grumbled as she saw that her apearance wouldn't live up to Neji's masculine expectations.

She felt her mood darken. She was failing at making up a convincing cover up. She let out a depressed groan and thrashed her legs in frustration. She sat up suddenly and almost slammed into Neji, "Neji-niisan," she grabbed his hands into hers and gripped them close to her chest, "You need to teach me everything you know on how to be a man! To the last detail to the broadest idea you know about being one. You're the only person I can ask for help. I'm putting my very trust in you; I'm a quick learner and I promise to do my very b-best! I'll do anything you ask! Whatever doesn't please you I can change it! My body and mind are prepared for anything you have in store. I c-can take it!" Her eyes shined with determination and her face flush from her declaration. She was ready to be Hikaru, close cousin of Hinata Hyuga, who has an aversion of dogs.

Neji swallowed nervously, her sudden outburst putting him off kilter, "W-Well for starters, you can let go of my hands. Boy's don't hold each other's hands." Hinata immediately let go and fiddled with her fingers. "Also, don't ever say that what you just said to anyone every again. Those words have so many implications if said to the wrong person." Neji's mind was going a mile a minute. Her little speech was like a badly worded love confession for god sakes! Almost everything she had said was made worse now that she was boy. There were so many scenarios where she could've met her demise or worse, been taken advantage of.

"What implications?" Hinata for all she was could truly be dense to some of the things she did. Neji sighed and flicked her nose; she was a work in somewhere in a room filled to the brim with towers of books and scrolls, a team of ninja worked tirelessly looking for a specific book that would unlock the secrets of the jutsu afflicting Hinata Hyuga. Anko sat at a desk flipping through a thick tome of power genjutsus, hoping to find something that would jog her memory of the book she read.

She could feel her eyes start to stray away from the text in front of her and look at the piles of book surrounding her. She scowled and glared at them, wishing her gaze could set them ablaze and be gone from her sight. She would if she could, but that would make the Hokage beyond angry since some of these books were a couple hundred years old and irreplaceable.

She let out a groan and pushed the book aside and laid her head on the dusty table. Tsunade had basically made her live in the back room of the library as punishment until she found the book. Yeah she had the help of Izumo and Kotetsu, but they were able to leave and go back on duty as gate keepers every few hours. Anko was sure she was going to bleed ink and have paper skin by the time she found the book.

"Oi! Don't go sleeping on us now. We've been looking through more books than you. You still haven't finished they one Kotetsu gave you." Izumo walked over with scrolls in his arms and dumped them on Anko's desk. She cursed when one hit her head.

"Hey, watch it! It's not my fault that these old ass tomes have the font size of a flea. There's literally ten different jutsus on one page, you can't blame me." It was true; between the three of them they were only able to go through a few books at a time. It also didn't help that Anko didn't remember where in the world the book was, what it looked like, or even if it was a book in the first place.

So, they were stuck until they found it or if Anko magically remembered where it was she read about it. Kotetsu came over, hearing the two talking, "Hey Anko, you sure you don't remember the name at least? It'd help a bunch if you did, since most of the books in the back go by alphabetical order." Kotetsu was in charge of looking through individual scrolls of powerful semi-forbidden jutsu usually only meant for ANBU or ROOT to have access to.

Anko tapped her finger nails on the desk, thinking about the day she went inside the restricted area and read about the jutsu. It was a sunny day and she had gone to her favorite café and had a heaping plate of- suddenly her face broke into a mischievous smile. Kotetsu and Izumo both stepped back, feeling a change in the air and the look on their companions face. Anko morphed her face back into indifference, "I don't know. Don't think I can remember anything from that day."

Kotetsu was buying none of it, "Yeah right! You had a suspicious looking grin on your face. Fess up to what you know!" As much as Kotetsu liked relaxing and slacking off as a gate keeper, looking around a dusty library wasn't a way to get out of the job.

Anko waved her hand dismissively in the air, "I don't know what you talking about. The day was such a blur; I could hardly remember what I did. Did I go on a mission? Or maybe I went to visit Kurenai?" She sighed dramatically and slumped back on the desk. If she played her cards right, her plan would go through perfectly.

"Come on, you can't say that now! You know something don't you!" Izumo stepped forward, becoming annoyed at her antics. He was itching to go outside and be done with this.

Anko gave a pitiful look at the two, "I mean, I don't know. I might know something, I might not. I don't think it's important." Then she shot out of her chair and yelled in sudden realization, "AH!" Both men shrieked in surprise; Anko had to suppress the laugh wanting to come out. And then she frowned and sighed, and slumped back into the chair.

Both men blinked and then surround her, "H-Hey! What was that for! Tell us." Kotetsu shook her by the shoulders, wanting to know what made her jump out of her seat so quickly.

"I had an idea, but it's stupid. Forget you ever saw that."Anko had them in the palm of her hand.

"No tell us! If it's about finding the book or scroll, then you got to say so." Izumo stood beside his male friend, urging the woman to spill the beans.

"Well, I figured if I replayed the day I found it, I could remember where it is." If this went the way she wanted it to, she would be out of this stuffy room in no time. Both men gave her narrowed stares, already knowing her plan. She just wanted to escape the room. It wasn't like they didn't want to either, but they couldn't just let her leave or Tsunade would have them for dinner.

"You know we can't let you go out, Hokage's orders." Anko knew they would say that.

"Then I guess we'll be here then." She lifted Kotetsu's hands off of her and opened the old tome again, "Maybe we'll find it eventually. We could be here until tomorrow, maybe next week, or very much…next month." She shrugged her shoulders and left the two to stew in their thoughts.

Kotetsu and Izumo both gave each other similar looks. Each placed a hand on her shoulder, "If we help you recreate the day, then are you sure you can come up where you grabbed the book," said Izumo. They were left defeated.

Anko's face spilt into a devious smirk, granted the two didn't see but could feel the aura radiating off her, "Oh definitely. You have my word."


	4. Chapter 4: Shopping like a Guy

Sorry for the wait you guys! I had to replace my laptop's battery and charger, and with the snowstorm that hit where I live, I got my package delayed. Anyway, Sasuke makes his grand appearance; also, happy belated Christmas and happy new year y'all :)

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Masculine Expectations chp 4

Hinata sat idly at her vanity, combing her hair with a brush. She was staring at her reflection intently, focusing on her more chiseled features that resembled Neji's or her father's face. The talk with Neji yesterday was still on her mind. She didn't realize how much looks factored in to how you were perceived, especially as a man. If Kiba's words about her being girly said anything, she had a lot of work to do.

She sniffed her hair, and the delicious smell of vanilla wafted into her nose. She couldn't use her vanilla wash any more, and that saddened her more than anything else. She flipped her hair behind her and rested her chin on her hand sadly. So many small things to change, all for the sake of being manly.

 _Maybe I should change my hairstyle_ , she thought. She grabbed a hair tie and lifted part of her hair up and tied it behind her. It seemed better, it definitely made her jawline more visible and it kept her fringe out of the way. She smiled and took out the hair tie; maybe she could put it into a bun. The bun turned out to be a bit more difficult since she stuck in bobby pins to keep it up. She scrunched up her nose, no good.

Hinata spent a good hour tying and braiding her hair in different styles, thoroughly enjoying herself and figuring she could switch up her hair once she turned back into a girl. She ended up putting her hair back into the half up ponytail and parting her bangs to the side. "That's much better!" She grinned into the mirror, liking the way it made her more manly features stand out. She also noticed that the general cut of her bangs was what made her look too girly. It was true what Neji said, her haircut was more popular with women than men.

"I've never seen a guy get so finicky with their hair as much as you have Hikaru-niisan." Hinata jumped and turned around, seeing Hanabi leaning against her open door way. She wrapped her arms around her bare chest in embarrassment. It had gotten unreasonably hot during the night and she had taken off her shirt to resist the heat. She'd done it before, but would put her shirt back on before anyone came in. Hinata knew she shouldn't react in such a way, but it was out of habit honestly.

Hanabi rolled her eyes, "There's nothing you have to hide. And it's not like I'd care anyway, we're both girls." Hanabi strolled in casually and plopped down on the edge of Hinata's bed and picked up the discarded shirt on the bedpost. "Wow, it's really weird seeing this size of a shirt. Usually all your clothes would fit me, but this shirt is like a mini dress on me." She pressed the shirt to her petite body for emphasize.

It was true, when she put away her clothes from yesterday's shopping trip, Hinata saw how small her female clothes were compared to her male body. Not including her more comfy clothes and loose shirts, her more properly sized shirts and pants would have ripped if she were to try them on. She didn't think she was that small compared to her male friends, but it seemed that she proved it herself. She sighed and walked over to her closet, and riffled through the many fashionable shirts and pants. She should get ready, she's been in her pajamas for too long as it is.

"Oh! Let me pick out an outfit for you!" Hanabi scrambled up and pushed Hinata away, "I'll find you something nice to wear for sure! Unlike Neji's terrible taste in clothing, I have an eye for this." Hanabi briefly gave Hinata a once over, and stopped at her pajama pants and snorted.

Hinata cocked a brow, "What?"

Hanabi merely chuckled, "I never knew Neji-niisan had a thing for cats." Hinata looked at her pants and laughed lightly. She asked Neji for some clothes when she found that they hadn't bought her any pajamas from the shopping trip. She followed him after dinner back to his room, and waited at his desk while he rifled through his dresser. He turned his head to her with a look of rare shame and dropped a pair of green pj pants with small cartoon cats printed into her waiting hands. Hinata marveled at the cute pictures, but then gave her cousin a curious glance. Neji avoided eye contact and coughed, saying she could use it for the time being. Hinata asked no question which Neji was grateful for.

"Yeah, I didn't ask him about it though." He would have surely died if she did. Hanabi shook her head; she always knew Neji liked cats, but never enough to buy something like that. She had blackmail on him now, she though gleefully. Hinata shook her head and leaned against the wall behind her, hoping that Hanabi would pick out something not too flashy. Hanabi went back to the task at hand.

Hanabi hummed to herself satisfied, "Here! This is practical for a ninja, but casual enough for people to know you aren't one." Hanabi had picked out a waist length buttoned tan poncho, a long sleeved white shirt with fishnet detail, and a pair of black fitted ninja pants, the same ones that accentuated her butt a little too much for Hinata's liking. She raised a brow, it wasn't too bad, but she would've preferred to wear a full on sweater. _Old habits die hard_ , Hinata thought. She took the articles of clothing and sent a meaningful look to Hanabi.

"What? What's wrong?" Hanabi puffed her cheeks out. She was sure Hinata would've liked the clothes she picked out.

"I'm going to need to change into these," Hinata then gestured to her lower body, "I need to fully undress, Hanabi." It took her little sister a second to process before she sputtered and briskly walked out the door in a flustered manner. No matter how calm and snarky her little sister was, she was still a teenager with an innocent mind. Hinata quickly changed and turned this and that way in front of her mirror, looking at the outfit her little sister had picked out. It was very flattering and the poncho was warm enough for the slight wind outside.

Hanabi knocked on the door, "Can I come in now?" Hinata replied and in came her sister. "Woah; if you weren't a ninja Hinata, I think you'd make it into the modeling business." Hinata blushed at the compliment; there was no way she was that nice to look at. Models held an air of coolness and indifference; they knew they were good looking and owned it. Hinata was too soft and would've melted into the puddle from all the attention. She willed her face to cool, "Alright, alright, let's go eat with everyone else. I have to go out later with Neji to buy some new shampoo." Goodbye to her wonderful vanilla wash, it'll be sorely missed for the time being.

When they arrived to the dining hall, only Neji was present at the table, Hiashi was nowhere to be found, as well as her grandparents who decided to start eating with them for the time being.

"Ah, good morning Hinata-sama, did you sleep well," said Neji as he grabbed a piece of fish. She and Hanabi sat across from him, their individual trays sitting with hot food. No other trays were set up at the spacious table.

"I did, thank you for the pajamas. I'm sure my own wouldn't have fit if I tried." She gave him a small smile. Neji nodded and continued to eat. It would've been quite the humorous sight to see his cousin trying to move in clothing that looked to be meant for a small child.

"Hey! Don't I get a good morning or a Hanabi- _sama t_ oo!?" Hanabi pointed her chopsticks at Neji accusingly. Neji merely ignored her pointing; instead gave an indifferent look to her.

"You have to earn that Hanabi. You may be heir now, but you sure don't act like it." Hanabi hmped and dug into her miso soup. Hinata shook her head; Hanabi still was very much a teen. Hanabi grumbled under her breath, something about pants and cats. Neji only gave her a fleeting glance.

But she was sure that her little sister would become a great leader, Hinata could see that Hanabi's iron will won't make her bend so easily to the council or anyone for that matter. Hinata picked up a piece of buttered toast from her plate and took a hungry bite out of it. She started having large appetite since yesterday, lunch with Neji's mother and then at dinner with her father saw her eating more than before. She had seconds and almost a third plate of fried shrimp and roasted chicken.

Too say the least, after she scarfed down the second plate, her paternal grandmother's reprimanding stare was enough for her to stop and breathe and wait for dessert to be served. Now that she thought about it, Neji and most of her male friends usually ate more than the girls. Maybe her body was turning to that more of a boy? How odd, she hopped she didn't gain too much weight from all she was eating.

Hinata finished her soup before speaking, "Where's father and the others?" Her father, since the chunin exams tried to eat with his daughters as much as he could if time permitted.

"He went out with our grandparents to see the Hokage. Said he wanted to define the terms of your little vacation and the details. They won't be back until the late evening since they're going to that stuffy clans' meeting right after. Something about trade or another." Hanabi had once joined her father to one of those meetings and had to concentrate more than ever since she caught herself falling asleep once or twice.

Hinata nodded thoughtfully, that would mean she would be able to do as she pleased for the rest of the day. Being stripped of her title as clan heiress, left her days mostly filled with training with Neji and her teammates and missions. She had a minor role in the politics but was encouraged by Hiashi to attend the Hyuga clan meetings if she found herself able to make them. She would most likely become a close advisor to Hanabi when she ascended to clan leader down the line. But that was for another time, she had bigger things to focus on now.

"After this, Hinata-sama, do you want to go out and buy what you need?" Hinata nodded and they all continued to eat in silence. It wasn't ten minutes later when an elderly maid excused herself into the dining room.

"Neji-san, Mito Gai is asking for your presence. He said it was the utmost importance that you see him immediately." Neji shared a look with his cousins and excused himself to follow the elderly woman to the front of the house.

"That's weird. He usually doesn't come to the house unless something bad happened." The only times Gai personally came to the compound was when it was a high stakes mission that involved Neji being part of the unit.

"I'm sure it's fine. You know how Gai-sensei is, he's an eccentric guy. He might've just dropped by to give one his motivational speeches." Hinata actually enjoyed the outgoing man's company whenever she found herself around Team Gai. His speeches actually lifted her spirits, but she could see how being around him would be tiring. Tenten had told her enough stories of Lee and Gai's antics on missions and their inhuman training sessions to know that there was limit to the average person's patience. It was a while before Neji came back, for both Hanabi and Hinata finished their breakfasts.2

Neji came back with a grim expression on his face, "I've been given an A-rank mission with my team. I'm to report to the gate immediately after packing." He gave an apologetic glance at Hinata, "I won't be able to go with you to buy your things. Hanabi do you think you can go with your sister?"

Hanabi shook her head, "Nope! Father gave me a list of work to do while he's out. He gave me a pile of clan financial records and some dusty scrolls to look through."

Hinata sighed and crossed her arms, "Neji-niisan, I'll be fine; I can take care of myself." Neji raised an eyebrow and Hinata looked him directly in the eye, "I've thought about what you said and I feel that I can prove myself to be able to hold up my disguise. Trust me." She really did, it kept her up at night on how she could change her behavior. Since she knew Kiba and Shino the best, she took a few pointers from how they act.

Neji relented, mostly on account of him needing to leave, but Hinata seemed to be standing her ground on the problem. Good, as it should be. Regardless if it was part of her act or her affirming her independence, it was good she was standing up for herself. "Alright then, be careful out there…and watch out for certain _things_ following you." Hinata remembered how Neji had gone on a charade of lechers and fangirls attacking her, she doubted she would be caught by them anytime soon, or even if she had any in the first place.

He walked away from them to pick up his pack from his room; Neji was always ready to leave at any point for a mission. He made sure of that when he was bombarded by missions when he became jounin and had to scramble to get ready. The girls walked him out, well as far as they could since Gai was waiting for Neji at the entrance. He turned to Hinata, "Remember the alibi we made up. Try to avoid crowded areas if you go out alone. I won't be there to be you're extra pair of eyes, or to keep you from messing up."

"Neji I know that. I'm not a little girl anymore- err boy? Besides, you don't need to worry about me; I have enough fighting experience to fend off any offender, especially a civilian. So stop worrying, if anyone I should be the one worrying, you're going off on an A-rank mission. Do you know how long you'll be gone for?" Neji shook his head, it'd be a case by case kind of mission, and he just hoped it lasted as long as a week. He once was gone for a month, and that was a mission with a specific time limit.

"I can take care of myself Hinata-sama. But thank you." He patted her head, and again he was filled with an awkward feeling. He was patting Hinata's head, but she was so tall now. It must've been an odd sight, to see two men of the same build and age to do something like this. He pushed the thought to the side, this was still his cousin and he would treat her the same if it comforted her, social expectations be damned. Well, he would treat her the same in the comfort of his own home, Hinata being a boy was a secret so he had to keep up appearances in public.

But, maybe he should stop treating her like a child; she was going to be twenty by the end of the year. She wasn't the same girl when they were younger; she could handle a little shopping trip and much more. He was her protector, so he'll watch over her until she says she doesn't need him anymore. Neji gave an extra rough ruffle to her hair, "I'm sure you'll be fine."

He then turned to Hanabi, "And you, take care of yourself. Though, for a bratty kid like you I doubt you'll stay out of trouble." Hanabi clicked her tongue.

"Hey! I can act however I want! And I'm not bratty." She crossed her arms and looked to the side moodily. Neji merely patted her on the head in good humor, knowing Hanabi was happy to be given a goodbye. And with that he left, a last wave before he disappeared from their sight down the hall.

Hinata turned to her sister, "I guess you should start on those records father gave you, hm. Don't worry they aren't that boring; you'll be surprised at what you find." Before when Hinata was still heiress, she was given a set number of records to look over. They weren't the amount Hanabi gets now, but for a eleven year old, just four scrolls was enough to drown in information.

Hanabi rolled her eyes, "Yeah, yeah. I once found that uncle Satori paid a large sum of money for some candy from the Land of Water. I have yet to use this info against him." A Cheshire like smile spread across her little sister's face, Hinata shook her head and flicked Hanabi's nose. Hanabi would be a fine clan leader in the future. She left her sister in a fit; Hinata had to get moving if she wanted to take a shower with her new bathing products in the coming days.

She walked out of the kitchen and through the halls until coming to a stop at her room. She walked straight to the closet, hoping to find a bag to take with her to put the items when she bought them. She swung the door open and rummaged through the back of the closet, knowing she would find forgotten bags and purses.

She reached for a rather plain looking bag from her closet, when a shiny glint caught her eyes. Cute pins and a glittery looking keychain were attached to a simple baby blue canvas bag. She grabbed it and smiled. She looked at the accessories fondly, remembering one her very first missions with team eight. It was a simple D-rank in the village, but it was special because Kurenai-sensei had bought her and her teammates small trinkets for a job well done. She had given Hinata a pack of pins of different animals. The key chain, a piece of clear plastic with small flowers in it with gold accents, was a gift from Kiba and Shino for her 14th birthday. She had cried when she received both, overcome with joy at the gestures.

She fiddled with the pins and carefully took them off. A guy wouldn't have these types of accessories on their bag. It was also another sign of Hinata, and she had to keep up her persona in public. She placed the items on her vanity and left her room with the bag.

She found herself passing an open tea room and found Hanabi engrossed in the scrolls left for her, "Hey, I'm going out now. I won't be long, okay." Hanabi nodded, obviously only hearing part of what she said. Hanabi raised a hand in a weak wave, only sparing a brief glance to her sister. Hinata smiled and left the doorway.

She slipped on her new ninja shoes and admired them a bit before straightening out her poncho. A giddy feeling bubbled in her stomach. This was the first time she was going out by herself since her little transformation. Hinata briefly wondered if this was how ordinary children felt when sent on their first errand. As far as she could remember, she was never sent on an errand. Hinata wondered if she missed out on things as a child.

"No more of that!" She secured the bag on her shoulder and walked out the door cautiously. Even if the main house servants and council were informed about her little stunt, the rest of the clan was still mostly in the dark. She walked out the compound gates and nodded to the guards on her way out, they merely gave her a quick once over, but bowed respectfully nonetheless upon seeing her blank forehead.

She made it through her first obstacle without a scratch; perfect!

/

Hinata never realized how much of the village had been rebuilt after Pein's attack three years ago. Many of the buildings looked brand new with their still fresh paint and modern architecture. The village had a new air to it; there wasn't a gloom over it anymore. The attack brought everyone together, and with the fall of the akatsuki, the ties between the hidden villages seemed to relax into relative peace. It may not be perfect, but the relations were fair. Hinata let a carefree smile adorn her face, the weather was nice out and the giddy feeling from earlier was keeping her in high spirits.

She hummed to herself as she walked and suddenly felt a bump to her side. With reflexes only a ninja could have, Hinata caught the body that bumped into her. A thump of a grocery bag hit the dirt ground and sent cans of peaches rolling out.

"A-Ah! I'm so very sorry for bumping into you! Are you alright?" Hinata had bumped into a young woman, a civilian one at that. She released her from her sudden grip.

The young woman in question on the other hand was in a rather foul mood. Her groceries were all dirty now on the floor. She angrily squatted and started to pick them up. People were so inconsiderate these days, they didn't watch where they were going!

Hinata bit her lip and helped the woman with her groceries, "I truly am sorry, miss. I didn't mean to bump into you and make you drop your items." Hinata felt quite bad, she was never this careless when walking around town. The woman stood with a half empty bag in hand, and Hinata stood too, towering over the young women by a head, a melancholy expression on her face. She reached out the can of peaches in her hand.

The woman turned to look at the offending man who dared bump into her on the road. But when she did, she couldn't but gasp in awe at the sight before her. She felt her cheeks warm and her eyes widen. It was as if she was seeing a prince from a fairy tale! She could practically see a warm light shining from behind the man holding her can of peaches. "I-I…that's fine," she gingerly reached out and grabbed it, only to suddenly pull away when her fingertips brushed against this princely looking man.

Hinata, knowing not what was going through the mind of the woman, thought her hand might have been hurt some way in the fall. Her medical training from Sakura popped in, and she took the hand of the woman and inspected it, "Did you get hurt anywhere? Does it hurt here?" Hinata looked at the hand on both sides, inspecting it for any cuts or the like. There was no outer damage she could see.

The woman was practically holding in her screams from her hand being held, peaches be damn this was the highlight of her day. She averted her eyes shyly, "No, no I'm fine. I was just surprised is all." Hinata nodded her head and was glad that she didn't cause this stranger any harm.

"I'm glad that you're alright, Miss. I would've b-been sad if you had gotten hurt by me." She sent the woman a smile, happy that the problem was fixed. Hinata's smile was a finishing blow to the already love struck woman. It did not help that the woman's hand was still in her's. The woman let out a girlish eep and scurried away in a blushing mess. Hinata was left in the dust at the sudden departure. She blinked and turned her head in the direction the woman ran off in and scrunched her eyebrows in question. What was that about?

Hinata was sure she didn't do anything to scare the girl, she was very kind and polite. Then it hit her. Stupid, stupid Hinata! This was exactly what Neji had warned her about! She had been careless and may have given the wrong impression. Hinata walked away from the scene in embarrassment, clutching her bag closer. Her face twisted in a frown. Hinata made sure to not bump into anyone on her way to the store. But as she left, she didn't turn around to see the same woman gazing at her from a fruit stand, can of peaches clutched in her hands.

/

Hinata finally made it to her destination, the small store she usually went to for her bath items. She hoped they sold the same brand that Neji used; she forgot to ask where he bought his things before he left for his mission. Her earlier mood had returned and she went inside the store with renewed vigor. The conditioned air blew across her as she stepped in, now she just had to find what she needed, pay for it, and walk back home without a problem. Simple and easy!

She made her way to the back of the store, where she knew the store kept their items. Hinata made sure to be aware of her surroundings, she had to be ready for any surprises. She peeked in the aisle and found it empty. She walked down slowly and looked at the varying colorful bottles of body wash, shampoo and conditioner. The bottles were all varying shades of reds and pinks and oranges. She pursed her lips, they were all for women. The bottle she was looking for was in a green bottle with a picture of…woods? She wasn't all that sure about the picture but she had a pretty good idea of what the bottle looked like in general. She looked at a set of bottles on the lower shelf and analyzed them one by one.

She heard someone come down from the other side of the aisle and chanced a glance at them. The sight made her freeze in place. She quickly looked away from them and focused her eyes on the orange bottle of mandarin scented body wash. She clutched her left hand on the bag's strap and lowered her head a bit more, making her bangs cover her eyes.

With the cover of her hair she peeked at the one person she never thought she'd met in the shampoo aisle, Sasuke Uchiha. It was no surprise to see him back in Konoha, heck it shouldn't be a surprise to see him out shopping for a new bottle of bathing supplies. Hinata knew nothing about him for god's sake. She only knew the bare minimum about him: his name, his teammates and that he came back from avenging his clan about three years ago. Even in the moments they were together it was only for mission purposes and it never went any farther than that.

It also didn't help that he was insanely intimidating to Hinata. He was incredibly powerful, he was trained under Orochimaru, and last time she head Sasuke defeated and killed him. She felt her hands shake slightly as she gave furtive glances at him. What was she going to do? What can she do? She needed to get her shampoo fast and get out of there. Who knows what he'd do if he found out who she was!

Hinata observed Sasuke from her crouched position. She never had a reason to seek him out, yes she had a mission or two with him but they always kept contact to a minimum only every talking when necessary. Even on those missions they were paired up with one or more people, so they didn't need to talk.

She gave him a quick once over, holding a pink bottle to her face to hide her wondering eyes. His hair was longer, the spikes weren't as prominent and his bangs were longer. His face was the same, maybe with a more mature touch since he returned. His face was as unreadable as ever, not that she minded, she had years of training to read emotionless faces.

His eyes suddenly connected with her white ones. Hinata almost flinched and rolled away out of the aisle, but she resisted the urge. She averted her eyes quickly and willed her body to stay in place. Her heart was beating wildly and her eyes focused heavily on the description of the bottle in her hand. She had to get her act together. This wasn't some S-rank mission where it was life or death! She was just buying a shampoo bottle and some body wash for christ's sake! She shouldn't be this afraid. Hikaru shouldn't be afraid of Sasuke Uchiha. For all she knew, Hikaru Hyuga lived a calm and peaceful life in Tea Country, and had all the confidence in the world!

Hikaru could do this! Hinata could do this! If she could face her family, the Hokage, and herself, then she could face Sasuke Uchiha. She looked to her side to see if Sasuke was still there. She bit her lip, he was still there and was now closer to her looking at the top shelves. Hinata peeked at the top shelf herself and grinned.

There is was, in all its glory the bottle of shampoo that Neji uses. It was the last one too! Her stars must be smiling down at her for this small blessing. She placed the bottle in her hand back on the shelf and stood and reached for the green bottle. She was thankful for her added height; she didn't have to stand on her tippy toes or jump to get it. She replaced the orange bottle in hand and rose up and walked to the green shampoo.

But as she grabbed the bottle, another hand also grasped it. Hinata felt at that moment that her stars were utterly laughing at her and her suffering.

Sasuke turned his head to glare at the nervous man next to him. He had caught them staring at him from down the aisle. He knew the man was a Hyuga from the eyes that was easy enough. And the blank forehead was indicator enough that they were main branch. But the clothing threw him off, it wasn't standard ninja attire, it looked different. Just who was this guy, he thought. He narrowed his gaze as he observed him.

Hinata was currently sweating bullets under his stare. She felt his dark eyes boring holes into her eyes and it wasn't helping that she was so close to him. Of all the bottles for him to grab, it had to be the one she was trying to find the past few minutes. She couldn't help her eyes roam around his face and the space around him, trying to avoid his gaze. She just wanted his eyes to leave her face. So much for Hikaru's boundless confidence.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, obviously seeing that the man in front of him was uncomfortable. Odd, if they were Hyuga they should've been returning the stare back. The clan never backed down without a fight, even if it wasn't fought with fists or words. But this particular member was practically cowering in his presences. He snorted in dark amusement, which only made the other's man eyes twitch.

Who knew that there was another member like Hinata Hyuga. Sasuke returned his attention to the bottle and gave it a tug, "Let go of the bottle." Hinata regained her senses and felt her arm hair's rise from the sudden voice. She sucked in a shaky breath.

"I-I can't do that. I need this." Her stutter made its appearance at the most inopportune moment. She could kick herself if she could. She'd make Hikaru a man of iron, "If you would kindly let go, Uchiha-san." A Hyuga must always be polite and courteous with strangers and guest, she thought. Hinata nevertheless tugged the bottle in her direction for emphasize.

Sasuke tugged the bottle with a bit more force, "And I said to let go, Hyuga. I grabbed the bottle first."

"I grabbed it first. I was here first." Hinata tightened her grip on the green bottle.

"What difference does that make? You didn't grab it before I went for it." Sasuke was secretly observing the man when he came into the aisle, wondering why they were looking at the women's body wash. He almost mistaken them for the Hyuga girl, the hair was a giveaway, but a closer look at the face and it was revealed that the girl was a man. He paid no attention, it wasn't his place to judge others with his own checkered past. It was just the nervous air he felt and the feeling of being watched that made him look at the man again.

"And you were watching me. Are you some kind of stalker?" Sasuke wasn't some idiot, after being tormented by them in the past (and recently in the present) he knew to be wary of people. Hinata sputtered at the accusation, and blushed a cherry red at being outed and called a stalker.

"I'm not a s-stalker!" She felt her stomach start to do flips. She needed to leave. She gave a rather rough tug on the shampoo, "I-I need this! Please let g-g-o!" Sasuke didn't let go of the bottle, he needed it as much as this stranger. This was the last bottle and he didn't feel like making a trip to another store.

"Stalker, let go of the bottle." He leaned in menacingly, tugging the bottle closer to him. Hinata all but squeaked in fright but kept on the fight for the bottle. It was starting to feel like a losing battle at this point, but she came too far for this item. She was a man of iron will! She will prevail!

"No." She kept her gaze steady with his own dark one. This is what Neji meant about keeping her ground when she was around other guys. This was a fight of wills.

Sasuke was frustrated with the man in front of him. He was weird and odd, but they didn't seem to be part of those rabid fangirls. But a nagging feeling was growing in the back of his head. They seemed oddly familiar? Their mannerisms and their general appearance were reminding him of someone. It was on the tip of his tongue. Sasuke narrowed his eyes and leaned in closer. Hinata didn't back away, if he was trying to make her uncomfortable she wouldn't back down. But that didn't help the sudden blush on her face from forming.

The smell of vanilla filled his nose. Then it clicked in his mind, this guy looked like Hinata Hyuga. His face contorted in a suspicious count, it was as if everything was clicking together, but not. Why would Hinata turn herself into a man, and buy men's shampoo, and dress in a men's clothing. There was too much going on. "Hinata Hyuga?" He saw the blush suddenly drain from the man's face and a shocked and fearful expression replace it. Sasuke couldn't believe it.

Hinata like out a strangled whine. She used Sasuke's surprise and yanked the bottle out of his hand and ran out of the aisle as quick as lightning. Sasuke was left wondering about what had just happened. He lifted a hand to his head, already forming a headache from thinking about all the possibilities that could arise from what just happened. He looked up at the empty space where his shampoo was and groaned in annoyance. The one thing he needed to buy and it was stolen by...by Hinata? Sasuke didn't want to think about it.

He grabbed a random set of body wash and shampoo and ambled to the front of the store. He impatiently tapped his foot, waiting for the cashier to finish with an old man and his prune juice. Sasuke sent a glare to the nervous cashier and grumpily handed over a few bills to pay for his items. He grabbed his bag, not waiting for his receipt and change.

Sasuke walked to the exit door and was met with a scene that only worsened his forming headache. Naruto and Sakura were chatting up a rather rattled looking Hinata(?). Sasuke marched over, ready to give a piece of his mind to the disguised person, "Hey, just who the hell are you?"

Hinata hadn't noticed him approaching. She practically ran through the cashier and out the door and crashed into the rest of team 7. It didn't help that it was Naruto who helped her up when she fell. They had someone how gotten into a short conversation, starting with Sakura checking for any scrapes and then them asking who she was. Hinata gave her fake name and small details. But Naruto seemed fairly excited to talk to someone he hadn't met before. Which takes them to now.

Sakura furrowed her brows, "Hey, you don't need to be rude to Hikaru-san, Sasuke-kun. What's wrong with you?" Sakura didn't take kindly to her teammate's rather rude question.

Naruto decided to butt in, defending Hikaru, "Yeah, teme! You don't have to be rude to Hikaru here! We were just having a friendly chat with him is all. What's got your panties in a twist." Sasuke rolled his eyes at his two friends.

"Don't tell me that you guys are that dense. That's obviously Hinata Hyuga." He pointed to the nervous looking man. Hinata was praying that Naruto and Sakura don't believe him at all.

Naruto cocked his head and squinted his eyes at Hikaru, looking over them and all the details. He rubbed his chin in thought and crossed his arms, "Well, yeah he's girly looking, but Hikaru's a guy! And there's no way this is Hinata! What are you trying to say, huh! That Hinata-chan is manly or something!" Naruto knew enough to know what an insult sounded like.

Sakura gave Sasuke a peculiar look, "Are you sure you're alright, Sasuke? Do you need to go to the hospital, is your sharingan acting up again?" Sasuke clicked his tongue in exasperation.

"You're both idiots." He grumbled while rubbing his temples.

"Hey, don't call Sakura-chan an idiot, you ass!" Sasuke ignored his loud friend. There was no way he could convince them at this point. Sakura rolled her eyes and turned back to Hikaru.

"Hey, sorry about our teammate Sasuke. He really isn't like this, promise!" Sakura gave a small smile, "Why don't you come by with us sometime next week to go out and eat barbecue? As an apology."

Hinata was surprised at the invitation, "Ah, um no thank you! I wouldn't want to intrude, and it's fine enough with just an apology." She couldn't be in close contact with her friends, and the current situation seemed to be setting up something like a date. Maybe it wasn't, Hinata didn't want to think about it all that much, especially with her mind running a mile a minute.

Naruto hearing the conversation popped back in and stood right in front of Hinata. He was close enough for her to see the details of his blue irises and the perfection of his tan skin. "HEY! We're inviting you out! The best place to eat barbecue is here in Konoha. But ramen at Ichiraku is better than any bbq if you ask me!" Naruto placed his hands on Hikaru's shoulder and gave a blindingly bright grin, "So come on! Join us, we'll show you around too and introduce you to our friends!"

It was one thing to say no to Sakura, but it was a whole other thing to say no to Naruto; you couldn't. Hinata felt her face turn a faint pink, she was keeping her blush down with every fiber of her being, "Sure! I'll come." It escaped out of her mouth in a rushed voice. She couldn't help herself, her crush for him winning over her logic. Naruto grinned wider if possible and looked to Sakura and Sasuke happily.

Sakura giggled at her friends antics, as annoying Naruto was, Sakura could appreciate his way with people. "Anyway, we'll find you when we're planning to go eat barbecue. Right now we have to go met with the Hokage for something," she gave meaningful looked at the two boys and then looked at Hinata. "It was really nice meeting you, Hikaru-san." And with that Naruto and Sakura left, Sasuke saying he'll catch up.

Hinata and Sasuke stood alone in front of the store, silence thickening between them. Hinata shuffled her feet not knowing what to do, "Well, uh I'll be going now." She gave an anxious smile, turning her body to leave.

Sasuke turned sharply to her, "What are you planning Hinata?" Hinata didn't flinch. She forced herself to not betray her inner turmoil and expose herself further. At a moment like this, Neji told her that it was better to act like him. And so she did, she was aloof.

"I'm not sure that I follow Uchiha-san." Act clueless but with purpose.

Sasuke was buying none of it, "Stop screwing around. I know it's you, so drop the act." Oh how much Hinata wished she could.

"I'm sorry but there is no act. I am Hikaru Hyuga, Hinata-sama's cousin." Hinata raised a perfect eyebrow and crossed her arms casually. She was milking it and she knew it, "I'll have to ask you to stop with these accusations."

"Sure, like I'd believe that. You're not fooling anyone with your little get up." Hinata knew that, and this is why she was trying. So far, no one except him found out.

"Again, Uchiha-san, I do not follow. Maybe you should heed Haruno-san's advice and seek medical help." Hinata felt that comeback in her chest, she was sure it hit Sasuke. "If there is nothing else then I will be on my way." Sasuke snorted in annoyance and walked away. Hinata watched him leave and promptly made her own mad dash back home. Her façade slipping the moment he was out of sight. She was positive her face was as white as a ghost.

 _I wish Neji were here, he would've kept Sasuke away_ , she thought as she jumped from rooftop to rooftop.


End file.
